The Doe and The Butterfly
by IroniccDuck
Summary: On the 11th of October 2013, a hurricane devastated Arcadia Bay, a small town on the Oregon coastline. The two best friends Maxine Caulfield and Chloe Price are among the survivors. With their lives in a wreck, but forever connected, they must discover the nature of the storm and a shady conspiracy surrounding it...
1. Prologue

**11th October, 2013**

The twister grew closer to the town by the minute. My hairs stood on end - the electricity in the air was unmissable. The pouring rain and deafening thunder came together as one to be the perfect soundtrack for a disaster. I gripped the photo of the butterfly, and looked up to meet Chloe's eyes. They were puffed up from crying.

'Max... it's time.'

I looked at the floor, and turned away. For the last time, I glanced down at the photo... and ripped it in half. Without Chloe, I would be nothing more than half of myself.

'Not anymore,' I replied, as the intense winds took away the pieces of the picture. I stood and watched the lightning strike the bay as the hurricane crawled forward.

'Max...' I heard Chloe say behind me, 'I'll always be with you.' She was by my side now.

'Forever,' I said. We stood there for a brief moment. Without thinking about it, my hand drifted towards Chloe's, and I took it. She squeezed my hand, comforting me. I couldn't watch when the whirlwind of destruction finally reached the town; I buried my face in Chloe's shoulder. Her clothes were wet through thanks to the storm, but I didn't care. She put her arm around me, and I felt stronger. For the first time in the week, I felt safe. It was all over now.

Chloe and I stayed together until the storm subsided. It seemed to stop as it moved inland, thank God - I did not want to see any more destruction. We walked in silence down the hill, taking care not to trip over the copious amounts of debris and fallen trees. Every couple of minutes, I swear I could see the doe that had guided me in my first nightmare, but before I could really see anything, she was gone. In the grand scheme of things, my safari experience wasn't important. I just wanted to get out of Arcadia Bay for good - there was nothing left except death.

We came to the bottom of the hill, at the beach. Chloe's truck was parked nearby.

'Wanna go for a walk? One last walk in Arcadia...' Chloe said, with no shortage of gloom.

'Can we just get out of here please?' I was so tired.

'Of course, Max,' Chloe said as she unlocked her truck. Lucky it was parked here, otherwise we'd have had no way out other than our own feet.

In two agonisingly long minutes, we were on the road. I stared out of the window towards the sea, as I felt Chloe's gentle touch on my arm. I turned around and looked at her, and smiled. She was the only thing that could have made me smile then. Surprisingly, there were a few buildings still standing - even the diner. We started to slow down as we drove past it. I could tell Chloe wanted to stop and check it out. She stopped the car abruptly.

'I'm sorry Max, but I have to do this,' Chloe told me solemnly.

'Not alone you don't,' I said, opening the door of the truck. She smiled, opening her own door. We stepped out together, and walked back, towards the diner. The ground was still wet, but the sun shone, reflecting in puddles that dotted the damaged road. We came to the door of the diner, and my heart fell as I saw Frank's RV crushed beneath the ruins of a building. Tears began to fall as I remembered how the fire blossomed. I couldn't tell Chloe myself - once again, I was too afraid of hurting her, like I had been the entire week. Too afraid of losing her, like I was at the lighthouse. The memory of her passionate, heartfelt speech about how everyone else deserved to live more than she did would stay with me forever. I turned around so Chloe didn't have to see me cry. Which is when I noticed it. The sand bag I used to prevent the diner from blowing up wasn't there. In its place was a clump of brown fur. Sure, it could have been blown away by the storm, but I had to hold onto this one last hope. Ready to face the truth, I turned around, and walked to Chloe's side.

'I'm ready now,' she declared, walking forward. The girl inhaled deeply, and pushed open the door, walking through. I followed her. Lying down under a table was the mutt, Pompidou. Sitting at the same table was Frank Bowers, wearing his signature leather jacket. His blond hair was greasy. He looked really spaced out, just gazing at us with open brown eyes. In his hand he held a meth pipe, which he put down gently when he saw us.

'Chloe,' he whispered. He looked at me and nodded slightly, a gesture which I returned. Pompidou even made his way over, brushing his head against my leg, 'There was nothing we could do...'

'What are you talking about Frank? What the fuck are you talking about!?' Chloe's outburst told me all I needed to know about what she knew. The thought had entered my mind, but like a lot of other things right now, I didn't want to face it. Chloe took my hand and stormed off into the back of the diner, dragging me with her. She immediately dropped to the floor on her knees - crying her eyes out. My eyes drifted from the brown-stained shoes, up motionless legs only to reach a head that was covered with a towel - also stained with blood. Chloe bawled at the sight of her mother, lifeless on the floor. I could do nothing but lament alongside her. Joyce was like a second mother to me; it was only three days ago that I had to relive letting William die, and now I had killed Joyce too?

A familiar voice spoke my name. I took my hands away from my face and saw Warren kneeling beside me.

'There's nothing we can do for her, Max... I'm so sorry,' he said quietly. I stared at him through the tears. I remembered how he had invited me to the drive in and I declined: how I kissed him (thank God he didn't know that) before I jumped back in time using his photo. He must have been going through hell worrying about Brooke. Like how Chloe was going through it now, only days after discovering she had lost Rachel. I crawled over to Chloe, and cradled her in my arms. Again, I was having flashbacks. The first time I saw her die in the bathrooms and didn't even recognise her voice. When she accidentally shot herself in the junkyard. Again, when she was shot by Jefferson, right next to Rachel's body. When I jumped back to Jefferson's class, anxious to save the peculiar punk rock girl in the bathroom.

After a few minutes, the crying subsided. Warren just sat on a counter, dejectedly looking at his phone, trying to ignore the two hysterical girls in his midst. But it was nice he hadn't just left us.

'Max, let's get the fuck out of this shithole. I'm fucking done,' Chloe whimpered. I stood up, and offered her my hand. She took it, and we left the diner. I took out the envelope marked 'HANDICAPPED FUND' and placed it in front of Frank. There was the money we owed, and even if he was a bit of an asshole, he would definitely need the $5000. So at least my conscience was a little clearer.

I didn't know what to say. That was her own mother who Chloe had seen, and she wouldn't even stay with her? Maybe it was too painful? No way to know, and I was not about to ask. So we got back in the truck, and left Arcadia Bay.


	2. Chapter 1

**15th October, 2013**

My phone buzzed frantically on the nightstand next to my bed. I felt groggy, and extremely reluctant to actually get up. It was light out, but who would be texting me? Chloe hadn't got a replacement phone yet. She was living with her stepfather, David Madsen, the man who had caught Mark Jefferson (my ex-teacher), stopping him from exacting his twisted fantasies. I still had flashbacks to the dark room. That psychopath looming over me, taking pictures with his camera.

Originally, I hated David at first sight: he harassed me when I set off the fire alarm to save Chloe's life for the first time, and when I saw him harassing Kate. But he had redeemed himself when he came to save me when Jefferson first took me hostage. Despite me giving him all that shit through the week, despite him getting suspended, he came to my rescue. He listened to my advice even while I was tied down in that chair. No wonder that he was now Chloe's 'step-hero.'

With much effort, I sat up and tapped my phone. I hated it when it buzzed like that. Something about it always made me nervous. The one making it buzz was Warren - at least he was alive. How the diner was still standing after that monster storm, I'll never know. His texts read:

 **Meet me outside in an hour.**

 **There's something I have to show you.**

 **Don't be late.**

He seemed serious, so I replied to him that I would be there, and I lifted myself out of bed. I had gone to live with my parents in Seattle. Needless to say, they were more than glad to see me. Mom had to leave the room because she was crying so much, and Dad just stayed with me, making sure I was okay. I couldn't even face talking to them about what had happened - nobody understood it like Chloe, or could ever understand it like she did. So I just tried my best to avoid them. I stepped in the bathroom and tried to let the hot water wash away everything bad. While in the shower, I reflected on everything I had done. I let hundreds of people die to save my best friend... but were we? Or more? When I kissed her in her room, I thought I felt her kiss me back, if only for a fraction of a second. Even when in the face of death, I could hardly stop thinking about it. After visiting the alternate timeline and putting her to sleep, I saw her and could barely restrain myself. Everything was so different now. I had to think about this.

I left my parent's place right on time - seeing the familiar brown hair before he saw me made me grin. Warren stood there, the geeky little brother I never had.

'Hey, Super Max!' he yelled, beckoning me over. I gave him a weak smile, and walked over.

'Hi Warren. Just stick to Max for now, thanks,' I said, hanging my head.

'Right on Max!' Warren was in an irritatingly good mood, 'Wanna go grab coffee?' Again, I smiled.

'Sure, I'd really like that, thanks.' I was still staring at the ground when I said this, or rather, murmured. Warren put his hand on my shoulder.

'Are you okay?' He asked gently.

'What do you think!?' I snapped back, without hesitation, 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled.'

'Don't worry about it. We've all been through a lot, Max,' he comforted. We left the building, on the way to get coffee. It was a bleak morning, thanks to cloud coverage, but every so often the sun would peer over and greet the city with its benevolent glow.

It was a pleasant walk to the coffee shop, especially with Warren. We laughed, joked and nerded out with each other like old times. Anime, video games, obscure movies or TV shows. It wasn't the slightest bit awkward anymore, either. Poor Warren. I had no idea whether Brooke was okay - she was there for him after I let him down. I couldn't ask Warren a question like that.

'Here we are,' he commented as he opened the door for me, 'After you, m'lady...'

I rolled my eyes with much exaggeration at his 'gentlemanly' gesture, and walked in.

'What do you want Max?' Warren asked.

'Just a mocha,' I replied with much deliberation. I almost smiled at the memory of William, Chloe's late father, and one of the last things he said to us. Warren walked off as I sat down, leaving me to my own thoughts. They drifted off to Blackwell, and to the people who I had bonded with. Samuel, who was always so kind and interesting with his love of nature. Ms. Grant, who cared about her students and her subject. Daniel, who was always so introverted - but hella talented. His sketches were magnificent. Victoria, who I hadn't seen since she left for San Francisco with Principal Wells - at least those two people were still alive.

A figure standing over me interrupted my musings. I glanced up, and for a brief moment, she was silhouetted - but she appeared angelic nonetheless. The girl's dainty hands caressed the golden cross around her neck.

'Hi, Max!' she beamed as I stood up from my chair. Without hesitation, I embraced my friend. The faint aroma of red wine that always seemed to accompany Kate Marsh was gone: I knew she was healthy again.

'Oh, Kate...' was all I could manage without bursting into tears. Up on the roof, amidst the rain I recall holding her, feeling her pulse and watching the rise and fall of her chest as I thanked every deity that may or may not exist that she was okay. Everyone made a massive fuss of me over it, but Kate was the real hero for seeing I was there for her.

The short, petite blonde smiled as she brushed away a tear in my eye. She looked really good - not nearly as starved as she was in our final week at Blackwell, and those bags under her eyes had disappeared. To make a full recovery in little over a week after almost throwing yourself off a roof? That takes some serious character. She pulled up another chair, and sat down in it.

'Warren brought you here, didn't he?' I inquired, with a grin that was engraved on my face.

'I guess so. He seemed pretty happy about seeing you again the other day,' she said.

'Yeah. You have no idea how happy I am to see you though. After what happened... the thought of losing you again hurt,' I blurted, without thinking. I was still way too used to rewinding whenever I said something inappropriate, but I didn't know whether or not I still could, and there was no way I was trying that again. However, Kate's face displayed no emotion but gratitude, and I think she was even blushing slightly.

'Losing me again? You never lost me, Max. I lost you. But you helped me to find you again... and in you, I found the angel that guided me back to life,' she preached. Kate was emitting positive energy at this point. It felt so good to have made such an impact in her life - the same way I felt when I saved Chloe. Maybe, if I tried to use my power again, I could help more people.

No. I couldn't do that. I would never forget the terrible things I had said to myself in the diner during my nightmare.

You only wanted to be popular.

I'd been telling myself a lot since that night, but what she- what I had said really struck a nerve. Why should I let me bully myself? Fuck you, I was given a power I didn't ask for and acted the way any eighteen year old would. I learned a lot during that week, and how to stand up for myself was one those lessons. Even to the greatest bully of all, my own conscience.

Warren came over with beverages for us.

'Tea for you,' he nodded at Kate, 'mocha for you,' he placed the cup in front of me, 'and black coffee for me.'

'Sophisticated,' giggled Kate.

'I am but a simple man, Miss Marsh!' Warren chuckled. He then turned to me. 'So how are you, Max? Without biting my head off, this time, okay?'

'A lot better now that I know you guys are okay. And I'm so grateful you brought me here to meet Kate,' I told him. I wanted to ask about Brooke, and Stella, and all the others: but I was too shy. If I could barely face the chance that Kate was gone (someone who I should have known would be okay), how on earth could I bring Warren's mind to face the fact that Brooke might be dead? He'll talk about it when he's ready, I thought to myself. We sat in silence for a few moments. It wasn't awkward at all. We were just enjoying each other's presence. Three friends thrown together, all because of one terrible freak of nature.

Me.

'How are you holding up, Warren?' I asked.

'Not too bad at all. I have enough films and TV shows on here to last me a lifetime,' he said. Nothing that came out of Warren's mouth wasn't full of his jovial tone. It all sounded so fake. Like it was just a show, a farce designed to make us feel better. I would know - as Victoria had jeered, "I'm so sensitive that butterflies make me cry." That sort of thing motivates someone to put on a constant facade.

'So Kate,' I said, breaking the silence, 'how was it? Visiting your family.'

'They were so supportive! It broke my heart, thinking what they would have gone through if I had jumped. Even with the video, they were so understanding and there for me. They even helped me get my own place!' she cried with no shortage of enthusiasm.

'That's really cool! What have you been getting up to lately, Warren?' I sat eagerly, waiting for his reply.

'Video games, TV shows. I've been trying to get a job recently though, which reminds me. I should probably get going now. See you guys later,' Warren announced abruptly, necking his black coffee in a manner not dissimilar to a wild animal. He then left the shop.

'Well then,' Kate uttered, wide eyed.

'What's going on with him?' I asked, fearing the worst. Kate gently took one of my hands in hers.

'Max... Brooke's gone,' the blonde refused to meet my eyes, instead focusing on my lips, 'Warren knows. He's acting as if nothing's wrong... I don't think he has come to terms with it yet.' Kate looked down at the floor. 'We have to help him.'

I paused for a moment, glancing down at my hand, which was still enveloped in Kate's. My eyes rose to meet her hazel gaze. She smiled; an unfamiliar warmth permeated my body. 'It's alright to be upset. I'm here for you if you need me. I have to go now, but I'll text you my address. You're welcome anytime,' she beamed. We hugged once again, and Kate departed, leaving me to sit down at the table and think for a while.

I should visit Chloe, I thought, see how she's doing. The last time I left her to her own devices she became a full on punk rock rebel. Plus, the thought of Chloe was enchanting - I was still unsure what I felt towards her. Thinking of Chloe romantically was odd, to say the least. I was never really interested in relationships. I mean, I'd always assumed I was straight, even when I kissed Chloe: what teen girl hasn't experimented with their best friend, or at least thought about it? Admittedly, I had been doing a lot of that recently. Resolving to find out as soon as possible, I stood up, left a tip, and walked out of the shop to hail a taxi.

The first thing I saw after walking through was Chloe's door was Chloe. Or rather, the gray jacket Chloe was wearing, because I ran straight into her arms for her to wrap me up in it, burrowing my face into her and slipping my arms around her waist. She didn't even get the chance to say hi, poor thing.

'Woah there Max, most girls normally buy me a drink first!' she laughed. The smile in her voice was impossible to miss. I was so afraid of her not recovering. Chloe reeked of bud, but that was okay because it was her smell, and I could never grow tired of her.

'Very sorry. Just happy to see you.' The words coming out of my mouth were muffled.

'It's good to see you too, sista, who knows what I would have done if you bailed on me for another five years,' she commented. I couldn't quite tell whether or not she was joking. I removed myself from her vibrant clothes, and looked up into eyes that were almost as blue as her hair.

'Do you not understand what "I'm never leaving you" means, Price?' I mumbled.

'Chill out, Caulfield,' Chloe said. She let me go, turning around to pick up a joint she had just rolled. She threw a lighter in the air, letting it spin, then caught it. Chloe lit the joint, and toked on it, putting her head back and closing her eyes. After a brief moment she took it away from her mouth, extending her arm towards me. 'You want a puff or what?'

'So you've finally grown manners!' I observed. I'd never smoked weed before, and as Chloe pointed out, I could use a bit of a time out. So I accepted her offer, relieving her of the joint. I brought it to my mouth and took a drag, taking it back. Huh, I thought to myself, no wonder Chloe smokes this so much. I felt pretty chilled now, even if Chloe was cackling softly when I coughed. 'Sorry I'm not a pro stoner like you, Chlo,' I giggled, taking another hit.

'That's my fucking weed! You gonna hog it all? Gimme!' She exclaimed, lunging for the narcotics.

'Alright! Alright I give in. Guess I'm not OG enough,' I jested, offering the joint back. Chloe snatched it from my grasp, and resumed her quest to get high.

'This is what I love about you, Max,' Chloe stated.

'What?' I said, now alert.

'We can just chill wherever and do whatever. Just talking, or not talking.'

Another great thing about our friendship was that normally, we could just read each other. And the words written all over her face simply read:

Joyce.

Chloe had to deal with some major loss. She had serious abandonment issues (something I had learned of not an hour after our reunion) because of me - I had left her, and I also had the power to stop William from leaving, which I did... only for Chloe to end up severely disabled and dying. So I undid that decision and let William die. How could I claim to possess humanity after doing something like that? Right after, in that hellish alternate timeline, killing my best friend.

Then, four days after my return, she learned that her best friend, Rachel, the one who had been there for her when I wasn't, the one who Chloe had even said she loved, was banging her dealer, and the creepy photography teacher who turned out to be drugging and abducting his students. And to be killed by Nathan Prescott... what an end. If things had gone differently, maybe Chloe would have ended up like that after Prescott drugged her.

Then a storm comes, because of me, killing her mother and innumerable others. I didn't deserve people like Chloe or Kate in my life, and they deserved better than me.

So across timelines, you've indirectly or directly killed every member of the Price family. Some friend you are. Those people treated you like family, and all you did was destroy that.

After recovering from the beat down I had given myself, I laid down, and held one of Chloe's hands. At least we still had each other, and David, in this timeline.

'How are you?' I asked tentatively.

'Right now? Pretty bored, I got nothing going on-'

'No. You know what I mean,' I interrupted, surprised at my own assertiveness.

'Max...' an unfamiliar expression crawled across Chloe's face, rendering it unrecognisable; until I realised the expression was that of pure fear. 'I don't want to believe it. I'm only telling you this cause I love you but... fuck, am I crying?' she stuttered, barely audible. 'Max, she was one of the only people who were truly good to me. You, Rachel, even David though he had a weird way of showing it,' she paused only to catch her breath, 'and now she's gone and...' Chloe couldn't finish her sentence before the tears in her eyes overflowed, and the girl who had normally been such a resolute pillar of strength and confidence collapsed before my eyes, falling into my waiting arms.

'I'm so, so sorry Chloe. You can overcome this. And it won't be like last time. I'll be here,' I declared, sitting up straight. Chloe looked up at me through tears.

'Stay with me, Maxine Caulfield.'

'Always,' I said, gazing into her darker blue eyes. She had stopped crying now, and was moving her head into her hands. That was my Chloe, never wanting to seem weak, even in front of her best friend. 'It's okay. You don't have to hide away from me,' I cooed. She took her head out of her hands, and threw her arms around me. I patted her on the back, speaking soft words of comfort to her. We stayed like that for a while, and I was ready to stay with her as long as it took. It felt good to be needed this way, even if the circumstances were nothing short of catastrophic.

'You wanna watch a movie, or something?' I suggested, eager to take Chloe's mind away from her loss.

'In a bit, sure. But can we...' Chloe hesitated. 'Can we just stay like this for a little longer?'

Nodding gently, I moved closer to her. We lay down on our backs, side by side, our hands finding each other, our fingers intertwining.


	3. Chapter 2

**16th October, 2013**

A particularly loud thunderclap yanked me from slumber. I felt sticky and weird, and was kind of disoriented before I realised I was drenched with sweat. Just another bad dream, I told myself.

Tonight's spectacle was set on the roof, which was placed atop a giant waterspout, twice the size of the one that had hit Arcadia Bay. Kate was on the roof too - a recurring feature of my nightmares. She rarely jumped, however. Sometimes she would slip out of my grasp, and into Jefferson's. Sometimes she would walk straight past me, and sometimes she would cry, wailing like a banshee, blaming me for everything. In this edition of Max Caulfield's Series of Unfortunate Events, Kate was hanging in a noose, which was suspended from nothing. Chloe accompanied her, in another noose, long, strawberry-blonde hair flowing down her body. Stella, Alyssa, Brooke and Nathan were all there too, in their own necklaces of rope. Their eyes were all red, bloodshot. Nobody was at peace in their deathly embrace. Joyce and William stood in front of the swinging corpses, hand in hand. Their mouths stayed closed, but I could hear their words. You did this. You killed us all. We were your friends, your family, and you left us to die! For what?

Normally, the nightmares would end after a harsh judgement of some kind. But not this one. I turned around to face Samuel, the strange, kindly caretaker. He was sitting down, cross legged, surrounded by squirrels, who were stripped of their fur, dead. Samuel was completely still, neither alive nor dead, 'gazing' in the direction of a doe. The doe was on its side, its life slipping away. But still alive. Closer examination would show that the cause of the animal's pain: a bullet hole. That was when the dream ended.

There was only a sliver of light shining through the curtains. It must have been around six in the morning. Not wanting to worry my parents, I shot them a text saying I was with Chloe. We must have fallen asleep during our Lord of the Rings marathon. I smiled, remembering how much I loved those movies (the books will always be better, though). It was then when I realised how Chloe and I had arranged ourselves; I was facing a wall, and Chloe was spooning me from behind, her arms around me, our legs intertwined. Blushing, I relaxed, wanting to enjoy this serenity before I had to get up.

'Max... why do you always have to fall asleep when we watch movies?' mumbled the punk behind me. Either Chloe hadn't realised how we were lying together, or she was enjoying this. Her comment hit close to home, as I remembered everything that had happened in the alternate reality. The one I still hadn't told Chloe about. I was certain that if I did, she would hate me forever.

'Quiet, you. Can't we just lie in peace?' I half joked.

'Fine, fine, you lazy slob.'

I expected her to release me from her grasp, but Chloe only drew me closer, burying her face into my neck. The contact made me shudder involuntarily, a movement that Chloe noticed.

'Are you alright?' she asked.

'Yeah. I'm just bit cold,' I replied (a little too quickly), which was far from the truth. When I was with Chloe, I could only feel warmth. My face was burning up from embarrassment, but I sank deeper into her embrace. I wanted to stay like that forever, but alas, there were things to be done. Just five more minutes.

Halfway into those five, silent, comfortable minutes, my phone started ringing. I groaned, trying to reach for it over Chloe.

'I got it,' she said, releasing me from her hug to get my phone. There was a pause. 'Kate's alive? Why didn't you tell me? I'd love get to meet her!' yelled Chloe.

'Didn't think you'd be so excited to meet her,' I grumbled, taking my phone, 'Hey Kate!'

'Hey,' I heard her say, 'How are you, Max?'

'I'm great thanks. You got any plans for today?' I asked.

'Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Meet up for tea in two hours where we were yesterday?' Kate didn't miss a beat.

'Sure. Mind if I bring a friend along?'

'Of course not! See you soon!' she said enthusiastically, before hanging up.

'Looks like you will be meeting Kate,' I announced.

'Uh, sure. Just let me wake and bake, yeah?' Chloe more or less told me. I rolled my eyes for comedic effect, and left her room.

David Madsen sat at the table, gazing into empty space. Another memory flashed before my eyes: the one of him shooting Jefferson in the head after I told him Chloe's fate in the alternate timeline. The look of glee in Jefferson's eyes when he told David how he shot his step daughter in the forehead and watched how the light left her eyes... something I will never, ever forget.

'Hi, David,' I greeted him anxiously. He looked in my direction.

'Good morning, Max...' he responded. It had always been in the back of my mind, David dealing with PTSD - he definitely didn't act normal - but there was no doubt about it now. He sure as hell had dealt with loss during his tour. I don't think ever expected to be dealing with it like this again, nor did he want to, which is probably why he had such a hardcore surveillance fetish.

His tone was less than eager, so I decided to leave him alone. Instead of disturbing David, I fiddled with my phone, more or less trying not to look awkward, when something caught my eye regarding the vortex club.

It had been shut down!

About fucking time. It took a pervert madman and his psycho protege drugging multiple women to get it closed. It's not like many of its members are still alive, anyway. It was a grim, macabre thought, but not an untrue one. I felt a pang of sympathy for Nathan. What he went through was pretty insane, and he wasn't getting the help he needed. Remembering what he did to Chloe quickly exiled any empathetic thoughts from my mind.

I wondered how that would make Victoria feel. She may have mellowed slightly after Kate almost died, but at heart, I knew she was still Victoria Chase. She could probably just start a whole other club with her parents money. It wasn't as if plebs like us could change anything.

After ten minutes or so, Chloe came out, her eyes red. I knew it wasn't just from the weed, but I decided not to comment on it for now.

'You ready?' I said on a low tone, touching her arm gently. She gave me a very sad look, and nodded.

'We're going out, see you later David,' Chloe huffed.

'Yeah... see you,' I added, trying to smile. He did not look up; he didn't say anything at all. Chloe fixed her hair, and opened the door, holding it open for me. 'Thanks,' I muttered, stepping over the threshold.

It wasn't a particularly bright day. The sky was somewhat gray, with patchy clouds scattered across the sky. Seattle wasn't like Arcadia Bay - it was scenic, yes, but in entirely more dramatic fashion. A more modern fashion. In the autumn, there was less sun than Arcadia Bay. The ground wasn't completely covered in leaves - Seattle was a large city, after all. The winter was more wet, too - if we were lucky, there would be snow. The overcast sky was uninviting, but we had time to kill, so we decided to walk around for a while before meeting Kate.

'So, have you tried it yet?' Chloe asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Tried what?' I responded.

'To rewind,' she said matter-of-factly.

'You c-can't be serious,' I stammered. I hated it whenever that happened.

'Look, after everything that happened-' she began.

'Yeah,' I shot back, 'After everything that happened, I don't think it's the best idea to be messing around with time and space. It's all my fault, you know that!? The storm! It was my fault! Do you have any idea what it's like? Carrying all those I killed with me! Every night, I wake up, covered in sweats because of what I did. What I did to save you!'

Chloe looked taken aback.

'How do you even know that you caused the storm?' she asked quietly, wiping away the tears streaming down my face.

'What?'

'Is there even any evidence you caused the storm? As far as my understanding goes, all the decisions that lead you to this timeline were made in previous timelines. You didn't actually change anything in this timeline - just the other timelines.'

'Where's this coming from, Chloe?' I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck in anticipation.

'Uh...'

'Chloe.'

'I asked Warren! Okay? I met with him, and asked him to help find out as much as he could. Don't worry, I told him I was writing a short story "because I was bored." He told me all the theories. Wrote them down. None of them mention any possibility of events changing in previous timelines to make new ones actually affecting those new timelines. It's hella confusing, Max, but this timeline may have existed way before you set off that fire alarm. If that's the case, then it wouldn't have changed anything. Even if that isn't the case, why would making a few changes in a previous timeline cause a giant fucking storm?' Chloe ranted. We were a good distance away from any onlookers, thank dog.

'You don't understand. I never told you...' I began. 'Remember before the Vortex Party, when you were going to kill Nathan? And I told you what had happened when Jefferson... when he...' I couldn't carry on; the memory of the dark room was extremely traumatic. Chloe simply nodded, motioning for me to carry on. 'Before we hid in your room and told David about Jefferson,' it stung my entire body, simply saying his name, 'I talked about using a photo to travel back.'

I debated telling Chloe about the alternate timeline, but thought better of it.

'I think that has serious effects. Travelling like that... it's not like rewinding. Maybe, I don't know, using physical objects in one timeline doesn't translate well into other realities?' I offered.

Chloe thought about it for a while, and we continued walking.

'We really don't have a fucking clue what we're on about, do we?' Chloe said, exasperated.

'Not one,' I confirmed.

'Fuck,' cursed the blue haired punk. Hearing Chloe try and comfort me was nice, but realising none of it actually meant anything definite crushed me even further into my pit of depression. There was nothing I could have done to stop it - it was like a chain reaction. However, I didn't need to stare at any photos to cause this chain reaction. I felt as if I was drowning at a swimming pool - I should be safe, but I was in serious danger.

Ten minutes before the time Kate agreed, we arrived at the coffee shop, and walked through its door. A short, cheerful bell chimed, its sweet tone still ringing as we sat down at a table. I liked this particular establishment. Its atmosphere was very soothing, unlike Chloe, who was always riled up, ready to rumble at a moment's notice. But even she manage to calm herself when in the building.

Kate walked in, slowly, her eyes scanning the building. When the found us, I saw them light up, and she waved cheerfully. I waved back, and Chloe simply nodded. Kate waltzed over, and sat down next to me.

'Hi Max!' she exclaimed. The short, excited blonde extended a hand towards my other friend. 'You must be Chloe! It's so nice to meet you!'

Chloe gave me a quizzical look that flew past Kate. Cautiously, she took the hand, shaking it.

'And you're Kate. I've heard a lot about you,' Chloe drawled. She then turned to me, 'I think someone had some action last night.' The familiar smug smirk crawled across her face, dissipating quickly when Chloe blushed after realising what she had said. Her face was as red as her hair was blue.

'Chloe!' I hissed.

Kate didn't care. She giggled, blushing. That was the Kate everyone knew in September - sweet, innocent Kate, who could have feelings and emotions that wouldn't push her to jumping off a roof. She could either take a joke really well, or had still retained some of her signature naivety, and had not yet connected the dots. Anyway, she remained unfazed by Chloe's tactless remark.

'How are you today, Kate?' I asked, shooting Chloe a comical look.

'I feel great! It's always good to see my friends,' she squeaked. It was odd, for sure - Kate was unfathomably happy, even after everything that's happened. Part of me wondered whether she was acting like Warren. But Kate's 'pretend nothing is wrong' routine involved copious amounts of wine, so I dismissed that notion.

'I'll order drinks. What do you want?' offered Chloe.

'Earl Grey, thanks,' piped up Kate.

'Black coffee, please and thank you,' I requested. Chloe nodded, and walked away.

'You never told me you liked girls, Max,' Kate grinned. I felt all the blood rush to my face. There was no point denying it. How did she know?

'I uh... wowser, how did you know?' I mumbled, tripping over my words.

'I may not be the most street-smart person you know, but I'm not stupid. You totally go google-eyes at Chloe,' she chirped. Bullshit, I thought, I do not have google-eyes for Chloe.

'I doubt that-' I was trying to reassure myself more than Kate.

'Uh huh! But she's ten times worse. You may have an eye for photography and for nature, but you don't spend enough time looking at other people. And...' she said, moving her eyes towards Chloe, 'She is really cute.' Kate eyed me with a look of amusement, clearly enjoying my surprise.

'Nah, I don't believe this. Kate Beverly Marsh, a lesbian,' I chuckled.

'I didn't want to at first. My faith is a big part of my life, and I didn't want to stray from the path. But He has a plan for us all. And besides,' she added, 'she worships you. If I think the way you look at her is cute, the way she looks at you? It's a whole other level.'

How someone could pick up on that much through a couple of minutes of conversation was beyond me.

'Th... thanks Kate,' I said. Her words inspired me, and I felt a familiar warmth surge through my body. There weren't butterflies in my stomach, there were dragons. The warmth rose through my chest, and once again into my face, rendering it so red I couldn't bare to meet Kate's eyes.

'Alright guys, I got your- woah, Max, you okay? Chloe had clearly seen the blood rush into my cheeks. Kate threw an encouraging glance in my direction.

'Yeah! It's just... really hot in here!' I tried to cover for myself, but Chloe looked skeptical. She sat down, placing our drinks down.

'It's cool to finally meet you, Kate,' Chloe said, ignoring the redness of my face.

'You too! I really like your hair. It goes well with your eyes,' Kate complimented. Now it was Chloe's turn to go red.

'You certainly know how to make friends!' Chloe laughed, clearly taken aback. It was such a strange delight to experience Kate's newfound confidence.

Chloe and Kate got on well. You wouldn't expect it - Chloe had a vulgar, lewd, boisterous and downright disrespectful personality and Kate was a kind, conservative, generous soul. We talked for a long time, about music, TV, what we had planned and everything in between. Kate had the idea of a movie night, which seemed like a good idea. After everything that had gone on, we were still teens at heart, and wanted to do teenager things.

'Shall we order pizza?' I asked.

'Sista, you can't have a movie night without pizza. It's like, hella necessary,' Chloe replied.

Kate's apartment was small, but cozy. The interior was well organised, and very tidy. A painting of Christ was hanging on a wall so it was one of the first things you saw as you entered. The walls were painted light blue. Next to the painting of Christ was a passage from the bible, framed with an ornate gold pattern. I moved closer to examine the words.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Her favourite passage from the bible: Matthew 11:28. Not just that, they were the words I had spoken to her on the rooftop - the words that had saved her life. I gasped, flattered, but a wave of pain struck my heart as I remembered the sound of her body hitting the concrete. I thought that saving her, erasing that timeline would have made me feel better. But it didn't. To this day, I still think what if I hadn't been able to save her. As I do with Chloe. It's difficult to imagine a world without Kate Marsh and Chloe Price, and it would be impossible to live in one.

'Max? Are you okay?' Kate said, waving a hand in front of me.

'Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you,' I replied, 'just zoned out for a sec.'

'Hey,' she put a hand on my shoulder, 'if something's up, you can tell me. You do know that, right?'

'Of course, Kate. It's just that...' I paused, trying to find the right words, 'it's weird. This is the second time we've seen each other after... everything, and we're all acting like nothing's happened. I get that we're trying to have fun, but it feels-' Kate stopped me, putting a finger on my lips. The contact made me feel weird, like, maybe that's a little intimate? But at the end of the day, we all needed intimacy, especially Kate.

'I get it Max. I really do. We all have to deal with things in our own way. Just promise me, you'll talk to me if you need to.' Kate looked up into my blue eyes with hazel orbs. 'Max.'

'I promise.'

'Good. Now. I'll order us some pizzas. Make yourself at home, and could you feed Alice for me?' she asked. I nodded in response, and plodded over to Kate's white rabbit, who was dozing peacefully in her cage next to Kate's laptop, which was on standby.

'Hey Alice,' I cooed. Her ears perked up, like she recognised me after I looked after her while Kate was recovering. It was very good fortune that Mr Marsh had gone all that way to pick her up from my dorm after visiting his daughter in hospital, else Alice would have perished in the storm like everyone else. That definitely would have plunged Kate into another round of sadness. 'Did you miss your other Mommy, huh?' I turned red at the implications, despite nobody hearing what I had said.

Chloe came to watch me feed the rabbit. 'Can I hold the bunny pweease?' she mock-begged. I sighed.

'Chloe, rabbits don't generally like to be picked up. It's best to just leave her,' I told her, throwing a few pellets in the hutch.

'Aww, you're such a killjoy,' she groaned, pushing me lightly. Being clumsy, I fell into the table, knocking Kate's laptop. The screen flashed up, and I couldn't help but notice what was on the screen.

'Chloe...'

'What is it Max? Oh.' She stopped, and with good reason. 'Holy shit.'


	4. Chapter 3

**16th October, 2013**

On the screen was site about painting - normal for Kate, she was an artist. Facebook was open too. But the weird thing was, she had tons of science-related tabs open. Quantum physics, thermodynamics, meteorology - very unlike her. Physics wasn't her area of expertise. In the bottom right of the screen, a chat tab was open, also discussing similar areas of science. And me.

'Alright guys I got-' Kate started, reappearing in the room. She spotted us next to her laptop, and stopped speaking, trying to think what to say next. 'I can explain.'

'You'd better,' Chloe growled, 'why are you talking about time travel with Warren, huh? How did you know?'

Kate sat down. 'Warren mentioned it.'

Suddenly, I took an interest in my trainers. I could feel Chloe's glare burning a hole into me.

'You told Warren? ' she exclaimed.

'Yeah, I told Warren! He is the science nerd,' I retorted, 'with everything that's been happening recently, I didn't think it would be a bad idea.

'When did you tell him? Why didn't you tell me you told him?' she asked, her voice expressing her agitation. I looked her dead in the eyes.

'I didn't want to come to with anything that wasn't solid,' I reasoned.

'I'm your best friend. Solid or not, I want to know.'

Kate stood, watching uneasily as Chloe and I bickered. She cleared her throat quietly, and once more, but louder, earning glares from two pairs of blue eyes.

'C-can someone please tell me what's going on?' Kate asked, timidly. Chloe's eyes glowed a cold blue, and fixed onto me.

'Yeah, I think we all need a bit of explanation. Care to oblige, Max?' she demanded. I rubbed my left arm anxiously, trying to figure out what to say.

'I can, uh, could, time travel. Like, rewind it.' Kate just stared at me blankly, then turning to Chloe.

'Is she alright?'

Chloe nodded, motioning for me to carry on.

'That's not the whole story. Back in Jefferson's class, I had a vision of the storm. And Kate... on that Tuesday, I saw... I saw you...' tears threatened to make an appearance; I fought them down, continuing, 'I saw you jump. Twice. I actually managed to stop time. That's how I got to the roof so fast. But once I was up there, I couldn't rewind... I was so scared, Kate,' I whimpered. Pathetic. The tears broke through as the memory of Kate throwing herself off the roof once again flashed in my mind, consuming it. The petite blonde came to my side, and held me - a gesture Chloe did not appreciate.

'And I could use photos to travel back... I made alternate realities, and destroyed them, because I'm so fucking selfish. And by now, you probably think I'm insane,' I said, wiping away the tears. They had stopped their onslaught for now.

'I don't think you're crazy Max. You just need help,' she began gently. Chloe may have been annoyed at me before, but now she was furious.

'Bullshit! You haven't seen the shit I've seen her do. What do you know about anything anyway? You can believe that some fucker fed five thousand people with a fish and some of bread, but time travel is impossible?' Chloe fumed.

Her argument had struck a nerve in Kate. She was visibly hurt. 'I'm sorry... but you can understand how this does sound. When Warren was talking about it, I thought he was messing around,' she reasoned, 'is there any proof?'

'She saved your life, you shouldn't need any fucking proof,' grumbled the taller girl, stalking away. Kate touched my arm.

'Max, I'm so sorry,' she said. Kate was always so gentle. But she was right - I did understand how it sounded.

'It's okay,' I comforted, trying to smile at her. 'I get it if you don't believe me. I can't prove it to you. I think... I think I caused the storm. Because I created alternate universes. Which is why I don't want to try and do it again.'

'I don't want to push but... could you please try? It would help me. And I think that you causing a storm is a little out of the question. Just look at what Warren said,' Kate bargained. I sighed, looking down at my converse trainers in defeat.

'Tomorrow, maybe. Can we go find Chloe now?' I asked, worrying about her. She was probably in a massive sulk, but I didn't want that to ruin our night.

'Okay!' Kate said beaming up at me, the smile back on her face.

There weren't many rooms to check, and Kate's apartment wasn't too interesting, except for her bedroom. The item that held my attention was a locked wooden case that was lying on a chest of draws. I looked over, gasping at its contents.

'Kate! What the hell?' I yelled.

'Oh, that. Perks of having a crazy uncle in the south, and a traditionalist family,' she said nonchalantly. But really. A gun!? And a rifle, at that. I wasn't gun-savvy; my one encounter with a firearm where I almost shot someone saw to that. But everyone knew what kind of weapon this was. The curved magazine, the barrel shape and the wooden grip were all features of a classic.

'An AK-47? Kate, this is... wrong,' I observed.

'It's an AKM, actually. And I'd have felt bad if I turned it down. It was a gift. And yeah, I know how to use it,' she said confidently.

'Whatever happened to 'thou shalt not kill?'' I asked, seeing a carton of bullets next to the rifle.

'It's not for killing. I'm not sure what it's for. Perhaps I'll go shooting one day, who knows.'

The old Kate would have probably burst into tears at the sight of a weapon. But there it was, close to where she slept. _Oh well_ , I thought, following Kate out of the room, _she's not the only one who's changed._

We found Chloe in the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. We opened the door, and she turned around slowly.

'Kate. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled,' she said, the cold glare gone, replaced with a look that begged forgiveness. An apology this soon from Chloe Price? Unheard of!

'Oh, that's fine. I understand. It's just a big thing to get your head around, you know?' Kate didn't smile, but the understanding aspect of her gaze had stuck around. 'So what do you guys want to watch?'

Despite our little spat, it was a great night. We watched several movies, Chloe went out and got some beer (Kate drank _just one_ glass of wine and got tipsy - girl can't hold her alcohol) and we ate pizza. We felt like fifteen year-olds again, and I honestly had more fun that night than I had in forever with my two best friends. Kate was curled up on a rug on the floor with a blanket draped over her, asleep, leaving Chloe and I together, on her couch. It was gone one o'clock, and we were snuggled together under a blanket. Her blue hair invaded my face - she smelt like cheap deodorant and smoke, but that was simply one other thing about her that I had learned to appreciate about her. I had to face it at some point - I was in love this girl. But Chloe wasn't just a girl: she was a woman. And wowser, did she act like it. Strong, passionate, loving; this was what I had sacrificed Arcadia Bay for. I felt warm, cozy and natural with her. Like it was meant to be. Like it was fate.

Chloe turned round in the blanket to face me. Her blue eyes met my own. I felt a spark light in my stomach, and it had zipped into my chest, arousing the courage I so desperately desired. She leaned in close next to my ear, whispering.

'We have to meet with Warren.'

'That's a random thought,' I replied quietly.

'You were right. He is the science nerd. And I do owe him for saving our asses with... Nathan,' Chloe mumbled.

'We'll meet him at some point,' I responded after a few moments of thought, 'I'd rather have a short break before we go on any more adventures, but I guess the morning will do.'

'Alright then,' she concluded, sitting up. I snuggled up to her, earning a giggle and an arm around me.

'Chloe, there's something I want to ask you,' I declared, looking up at her, having finally mustered the courage to talk to her about what I felt. But she was already asleep.

Light shone through Kate's living room window. I had stayed awake for most of the night, wondering how my revelation to Chloe would have actually gone if she were awake. Did she feel the same way? Would she just try not to think about it, and go back to being friends? Would it damage our relationship even further? Does she even know? Has she been ignoring it, like I had done to Warren?

Perhaps Chloe sensed that I was thinking about her, as she was beginning to stir. She looked up at me with those eyes, again, and wrapped her arms around me. Hearing a sigh of content, I decided not to bother her with questions yet. We simply stayed, as we had last night and the night before, together.

'Morning,' she greeted.

'Hey,' I replied. Kate began to move under her blanket on the floor, gradually moving to a sitting position, facing us.

'Hello!' she chirped. Chloe groaned comically. Kate was such a morning person - she was typically the first one up in the morning at Blackwell, ready to practice playing her violin. And oh God, was she good. Sometimes, before we were really friends, I would sit outside her room, with my ear pressed up against the door to hear her play. Nobody saw me, but it wouldn't have mattered if we did. When Kate and I did get to know each other, we would often jam out together, with me on my guitar and her on the violin. It was a very strange combination, but the music we made together was great. At least for me.

'I'll make you some coffee shall I? How do you like it?' Kate offered, standing up. I watched her from the couch, before piping up.

'You don't have to do that, Kate! You've been really nice letting us stay over-' I began.

'I'll have one if they're going, Kate,' Chloe stated, 'straight black coffee please, no sugar.'

'I was just trying to be polite,' I said, 'but sure. One sugar and milk, please and thank you.' Kate nodded, smiling ever so sweetly as she always did.

Ten minutes later, we had pretty much finished our drinks. I trying to find the motivation to prove to Kate that my powers were real. It didn't matter to me whether or not she thought that they were real, but I suppose she did have a right to know. In addition, it was time for me to find out whether I could still rewind. Kate had brought some coins with her - she wanted me to tell her how much money she had, like that time I was with Chloe in the diner. It was probably her idea.

'Alright! I'll show you what I've got in my hand, and then you can rewind and tell me. Got it?' Kate said.

'Yeah. I've done this before,' I stated, throwing Chloe a glance. She looked back innocently. Kate opened her hand, revealing a dollar note, a quarter, and a dime. Alright, now for the hard part. I concentrated as hard as I could, lifted up my right hand, and went back.

My head exploded. It had been so long since my last rewind, I must have been out of practice. Everything went a strange, but familiar grey-blue and I watched Kate close up her hand, walking backwards. My head pounded, and I could feel the blood start to trickle down my nose. I stopped, trying to spare my head.

'...then you can rewind and-'

'One dollar,' I stammered, '35 cents.' Kate paused, mouth open, unveiling her hand.

'How did you... Max, your nose... oh my goodness.'

Kate wasn't wrong about my nose. Blood was now flowing fairly quickly, and Chloe ran to get some tissue. She returned swiftly, holding it to my nose.

'Guess that settles that,' Chloe said nonchalantly. 'You still up for meeting Warren today?'

Chloe looked at me attentively with those bright blue eyes. I nodded. 'We can bring Kate along too. I'm going to have to do this again. It's time he got some proof.'

'We don't have to go through with this,' my best friend cautioned, looking at me with nothing less than compassion.

'Of course we do. I told him most of what happened, all that's left is to prove it. He's a good friend, and he deserves proof,' I concluded.

'I'll let him know we're coming. I don't know where to find him these days, but I'll message him and find out where he is,' Kate said. Once again, I nodded. I tried to hold the tissue Chloe had brought me to my nose and relax for a bit.

The thought of meeting Warren wasn't appealing, given how much it hurt to use my power for only a few seconds. But if he and Kate were doing research, Warren was almost certainly the mastermind, and I wanted to know what he had found, if anything. After a few moments, Chloe came to sit down beside me.

'Feel any better?' she asked. I didn't - I actually felt pretty light headed. But I didn't want her worrying about me.

'Yeah. I feel fairly normal now,' I lied. At least the bleeding had stopped. Chloe put her arm around me, and I leaned against her shoulder.

Now is the perfect time to confess your feelings for her and ruin your friendship, I mused. To hell with it. Why not.

'Chloe... do you remember, on the morning after we broke into Blackwell?' I inquired. A smirk crawled upon her lips.

'I do, I remember it very well. And Max, I already know you like me,' she said with a light hearted tone. If my face was pale beforehand, it certainly wasn't now. 'Aww, you've gone all red!'

She didn't seem bothered. Actually, she seemed quite amused by it. That kind of hurt.

'Chloe, this is serious!' I said indignantly. Without any warning, she brought her face close to mine, and pressed her lips against my own. A sensation I could only describe as an 'electrical tingle' shot through my lips and down my spine. The taller girl held my head with one hand, and put the other hand on my side. I grabbed her back as she moved in even closer, almost on top of me, ravaging my lips. That was my Chloe: passionate, strong, brash. It was exhilarating - like the first time we kissed, only this time, we knew what we were in for. That magnified the feeling a thousandfold. She pulled away, but I only wanted more. My heart had never pumped so fast in my life.

'Maxine...'

I hated being called that, but now the name came from her lips, my heart skipped a beat. It was a name only she could call me, and that made me feel really warm.

'Wowser,' I murmured without thinking. Holy shit, wowser? What was I thinking?

Chloe snickered. 'Never change, Max.' I nuzzled her neck, resting there. She was surprisingly comfortable. I kissed her neck gently, earning a subtle moan. A door slammed a few metres away, and we sort of, but not quite, broke apart.

'Could you two not sin on my couch please?' Kate giggled, a knowing grin on her face. She didn't seem at all surprised. I stuck my tongue out at her. I knew my face had gone beetroot red, but I didn't care. It was silly middle school bullshit, but I liked Chloe and now I knew she liked me back. Me! Max Caulfield, the shy, average looking, photography obsessed hippie. I don't even have that great of a figure. I was pretty awkward, too. I'd never envisioned myself as Chloe's type, but I guess some good things had to happen despite all the bad. Law of averages, I guess.


	5. Chapter 4

**17th October, 2013**

The weather had improved dramatically from yesterday. The sun was shining, and leaves plastered the ground like a golden brown mosaic. The Seattle skyline looked awesome - but where I was, it was naturally beautiful. Kate, Chloe and I walked together, silently. Not an awkward silence, per se, but I could definitely sense a small amount of displeasure from Kate at being a third wheel - she was on her phone for quite a bit. She hid it fairly well, though.

Before long, we came to the same coffee shop where we had been previously, to meet Warren. My mind was still buzzing from the kiss, but we had a more important task at hand now: finding out what Warren knew. We lingered outside for a little longer, then opened the door to the coffee shop. We proceeded to find the brown haired boy already at our table, beaming. Something was off about him, and I'm not talking about the fact that he was seemingly unaffected by Brooke's death. Far from it, actually, given the very noticeable bags under his eyes. No, he was shrouded in a very peculiar smell. It smelled like... ammonia? Lighter fluid? I chalked it down to some odd science experiment. His eyes lit up when he saw us.

'Hey! If it isn't the Kate and the Arcadia gays!' He jested, waving cheerily. Chloe snorted.

'I'm gay too, you know that, right?' Kate snarked.

'Yeah, I know, but I thought it would be funny to tease the new couple here,' he winked, seeing my confused expression, 'oh, news travels fast, guys. You're the hottest couple from Arcadia Bay! The, uh, only couple from Arcadia Bay...'

Kate responded by promptly slapping him in the face.

'Not cool,' she said. Warren grinned sheepishly, and hung his head.

'Sorry. I'm still dealing with it all too, you know. It's just my way,' he reasoned. Fair enough, but Kate was right - that wasn't cool. I let it slide, and so did Chloe, apparently. She started speaking after a moment.

'Alright, so, we found out you and Kate have been doing research into Max and her powers. Whaddayaknow?' She asked, without beating around the bush.

Warren's eyes widened in surprise. 'What? How did you-' He began. Kate interrupted, clearing her throat. He sighed. 'Don't take this the wrong way... but it's all conjecture. And as much as I trust the three of you, I haven't actually seen Max's 'abilities' in action. I would really like a demonstration,' he said.

'If you trust us, why are you so eager for proof?' Chloe growled. She really didn't like people doubting me. Or she just liked coming to my rescue. Probably both.

'Because it would really help to see the kind of, I don't know... effect? It's hard to describe. Science, you see,' he lectured. Chloe didn't look very happy, but she decided to once again let his attitude slide. 'Alright, this should be pretty simple... uh,' he hesitated for a moment, in deep thought. 'Okay, I'll say something, completely random and unexpected, and then from what you told me, you can rewind and tell me what I said, right?'

'Yes,' I confirmed.

'Okay. Go-tassium.'

I sniggered at his old joke, and raised my hand. The world phased into its familiar grey-blue tint, before becoming normal again. It hurt a little, but there was no nosebleed this time. I had only gone back ten seconds or so; Warren was still in deep thought. Is 'still' even the right word to use, given that I went back in time? Hell if I knew.

'Go-tassium,' I declared after a few seconds. Kate and Chloe just looked at me in confusion. Warren remained in thought, though his expression had changed to one of amusement and consideration.

'Huh.' He smiled.

'Well? Did that help?' Chloe asked.

'It's like she read my mind. Alright, I found something else after Kate-' he began. Warren was interrupted by his phone, which had started buzzing intensely. 'One second,' he said, suddenly assuming a serious tone, leaving the coffee shop.

'I wonder who that was?,' I wondered aloud.

'Seriously?' Groaned Chloe, 'we get him to start talking, and then his phone goes off. That's just our luck, right? Excuse me.' and with that, Chloe left the table, probably in search of the ladies' room.

'I don't know why you're so determined,' Kate said. 'There's nothing to find. Warren and I went through all kinds of theories, and studies, but there wasn't anything there.'

I debated whether to open up to Kate. The revelation that she and Warren were doing some research of their own... inspired me. Despite everything that had happened, all the pain and death I had both caused, endured and escaped from, I felt like I couldn't let it go. What had happened in the Bay was a part of me - if I let it go, I would become nothing. Since meeting Kate and Warren again, I was determined to take some sort of action, some sort of revenge. They kept telling it wasn't my fault. If that was true, then it must have been someone's fault, right? Warren had even said the storm was completely unprecedented, as was the snow, and the weird double moon.

'Max?' Kate was looking at me closely.

'Sorry Kate. I just feel kind of weirded out. My head kinda hurts, still,' I replied.

'It'll get better, I'm sure,' she comforted. My headache would, yeah, but would the desire for closure subside? I wasn't sure if I even wanted it to. Damn, I was turning into Chloe. Kate and I sat in silence, thinking, for another minute until Warren returned to the table.

'Duty calls, guys. I gotta work, catch you later,' he grimaced, leaving.

'Hey! Wait, you were just about to tell us something!' I yelled after him, following him out of the coffee shop.

'It can wait! This is important!' He called back, already jogging. I chased after him, but he was way ahead of me. Warren opened the door to his new car - a DeLorean. I knew the insurance company would have paid out after the disaster, but that was a pretty expensive ride for Warren. How on Earth did he pay for it?

He started the engine and sped off regardless. We were his best friends - why did he seem so eager to get away? His job? Must be something involving lots of money for a brand new car, and the requirement to ditch your friends at a moment's notice. I came to a stop, turned around, and headed back into the coffee shop, where Chloe and Kate were waiting for me.

'Just fucked off, has he?' Chloe asked. Kate shot her a look, which she didn't notice.

'Yeah, he said it was important. He'll probably text at some point,' I said.

Chloe grunted in acknowledgment. Kate nodded, standing up. 'I guess it's time for me to get out of here, I have some things I need to take care of. I'll let you know if Warren texts. See you around.' She then left the building.

'Well, now we're alone...' I knew exactly what Chloe was suggesting. Classic. 'I mean, I understand if you wanna take this slow, but you-' I shut her up, bringing my lips to hers.

'There's no place I'd rather be than with you,' I declared confidently. Standing up, I took her hand, leading her out of the shop. We walked through the streets together, heading back towards my place - much more spacious than Chloe's. And my parents would be at work.

My house was fairly big, on the outskirts of Seattle. My parents had moved to get better jobs, making more money. As a result, we could afford the nicer things in life: silverware, a nice mahogany table, big TV, things like that. It was a very spacious house, painted white on the outside. The inside was mostly pained light blue, save for some white in the kitchen and bathroom. However, I wasn't paying attention to the blue on the walls. I was paying attention to the blue of Chloe's hair, and in her eyes. I led her into my house, hand in hand. Almost as soon as I closed the door, the taller girl had me up against the wall, drawling a line of kisses from my neck to my lips. I held her, moaning lightly as she slowly explored my body with her hands. Her movements gradually became slower, until she stopped.

'Is this too much?' She asked, a look of genuine worry in her eyes.

'Chloe...,' I whispered, cupping her face in my hands. I lost myself in her stare. Her eyes were a colder, more steely blue, but if you knew where to look, it wasn't hard to see the passion and love so thinly veiled behind them. She wasn't one to hold back, and was doing so with only me in her thoughts. However, I'd had enough of melancholy thoughts and self pity; what I wanted was her. To be hers was a very enticing thought, one that had been playing with my imagination ever since I saw her in the car park. And if she had the resolve to love me after I had abandoned her for five years after the death of her father, there was nothing I wanted more than to be hers. So I kissed her, holding her close, my lips begging her for more. She responded only with her body: her hands resumed their crusade, her tongue glancing against my lower lip. It excited me; I'd had fantasies, of course, but they'd never involved how it really felt to be in this kind of situation. This feeling was completely alien to me. To be wanted by another person, especially the person I wanted. No - wanted was the wrong word. Desired? Loved? It couldn't really be named, but whatever it was, it needed a name. For the time being, love would have to do.

Once again, I took Chloe's hand, leading her up the stairs and into my room and onto the double bed there (I like my space, and as of late, I'd been a fairly restless sleeper). That was where I stopped leading; Chloe was way more experienced than I was, and I wanted her to take control. She had always been the most assertive and confident of the two of us, and I had no intention of stopping what we had set in motion. We kissed again, and again, and again, holding each other. Every time our lips made contact was another flame of passion ignited in my chest. The temperature in the room had seemed to skyrocket despite the autumn chill. Chloe reached for bottom of my shirt, effortlessly lifting it over my head. I began to unbutton her flannel shirt before she pushed me down onto my back, latching onto a very sensitive part of my neck. A guttural moan escaped my mouth as she played with the skin there, gently biting it and sucking on it. God, that just infuriated me further. She continued to tease me, gradually tracing a line downwards. I kept reaching for her shirt, and every time I did she stopped to move away. Her message was clear, and she had me under her thumb at that point, but I didn't care. I wasn't a rebel, and she could tease me all she liked.

Once I wised up, Chloe began to look very pleased with herself.

'You were easy to train,' she whispered seductively.

'You're a good teacher,' I responded, trying my best to imitate her tone. It seemed to work, and in a second, she was off the bed, pulling me with her.

'Shut the fuck up and undress me, Maxine,' she hissed, a grin playing on her lips. I shivered, and her expression only intensified. Chloe knew exactly what to say. It was almost as if she had rewind powers of her own.

Obeying her order, I brought my hands up, and one by one, I undid the buttons on her shirt, sliding it off her, revealing her signature skull pattern vest. That came off too, leaving just a simple white bra. When I reached to take care of it, she swatted my hand away. 'Later,' she muttered, and before I could respond, I found myself pulling down her skinny jeans. She stepped out of them, pushing me back down onto the bed. And bam, there went my jeans. My body was aching at that point. Enough was enough, and I couldn't wait any longer, and Chloe could sense that. The hands went exploring again, and eventually, so did tongues.


	6. Chapter 5

**18th October, 2013**

Woah.

That was pretty insane. Whatever doubts about Chloe were in my mind beforehand, they certainly weren't there anymore. She lay beside me, awake, simply enjoying my company. I was doing the same, still breathing heavily. She was silent; I wasn't sure what to make of that. Was I not good enough? Was I boring? We both wanted this of course, but I couldn't shake my anxiety, the feeling of inadequacy.

As if sensing my uncertainty, Chloe turned on her side to face me. She kissed my cheek innocently. I smiled at the feeling of her lips against my skin, and turned to face her. Oh, she was beautiful.

'How do you feel?' She asked following another kiss, this one on my lips. I couldn't really put into words the way she made me feel, but I tried regardless.

'Fantastic. Great. Uh...'

'Speechless, huh? Guess I was pretty good. I get it, Max. You don't have to say anything,' she said.

I understood, and appreciated her words. We let the silence hang in the room for a while, my mind still buzzing with various thoughts before Chloe spoke again.

'Max... I know what you're thinking. You're upset this wasn't my first time, too.'

She was right, of course. I had a feeling this was going somewhere; I let her continue.

'It's difficult to explain. I've had sex before, but I've never... made love, before, you get me?' My heart leapt. 'My first time wasn't great, and I've never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but you... you're different. You're someone that I can finally let my guard down around. 'Cause... I love you, Max.'

My entire body exploded. Again. I knew that eventually she would say it, but hearing it now just brought my mind to its knees. Especially from a girl like Chloe. A girl who had been abandoned by everyone she loved, all her life.

'Chloe... you have no idea how that makes me feel.' I saw her brow begin to furrow. 'Ever since I saw you in the car park, there was so much I felt. I never thought that in two weeks I'd be here.' I paused to take a breath. 'But I'm so glad I am. There's nowhere I'd rather be, and being with you? It feels right. Like, for the first time in my life, I know where I want to be, I know what I should have been doing for five years.'

'Me?' Chloe giggled. I loved that sweet, girly side of her.

'I wish I'd never left Arcadia Bay. I love you, Chloe Price. Always did, and I always will,' I sighed.

I wanted her to say it again. It made me feel like I was right to choose her, that all of this really was fate.

'Fuck, I love you so much. Alright babe, I'm going for a smoke outside. I'll be five minutes,' she promised, kissing my lips. Once again my heart was catapulted into my throat. She stood up, and I watched as Chloe made her way over to her clothes to get dressed very slowly and gracefully, keeping the best parts of her body in full view. After a reverse strip tease, she left, and I sat up, breathing deeply, my head still spinning.

I reached over to the nightstand to check my phone. There were a fair few messages from Warren left about an hour ago. He wanted to meet again, then canceled, then decided he did want to meet after all. What was with him?

When Chloe returned, I was already dressed in a pair of grey jeans, a checkered shirt, and a green hoodie. My phone buzzed - another text from Warren.

 **Alright, I'm away working atm. Sorry. Won't be back for a while.**

I sighed, and quickly typed a reply.

 **-_- How far away?**

His reply was swift.

 **A few hours. Look this really isn't a good time.**

Chloe came over, grabbing my phone. I yelled in protest, but she just giggled. Watching her fingers tap frantically on the screen, I sighed again, waiting for Chloe to hand my phone back.

 **Stfu and tell us where u are**

Manners still weren't one of her strong suits.

 **You aren't going to like this.**

 **Just tell me.**

There was a long pause before his reply came through.

 **Arcadia Bay.**

Chloe gasped from behind my shoulder. I looked over at her, and she was looking at me. I wanted to meet Warren... but I really, really did not want to go back to the bay.

'Max?'

'Yeah?' I almost whispered.

'You up for a road trip? You don't have to if you don't want to, obviously, just-'

'Chloe. Wherever you go, I go. Like I said, I'm never leaving you. Especially with something important like this,' I assured her. She nodded in acknowledgment.

'Let's go then! Outta the house and into the truck! Let's move out, Bat-Max!' Hollered Chloe, her voice laced with enthusiasm, much of which I suspected was a just a show.

The trip was a lot more silent than I'd expected it to be. Of course, we were both nervous about returning to Arcadia Bay, but I felt something else. Warren had something to say, and I wanted to know what he had found. Besides, I had nothing better to do. Towards the end of the long drive, we began to recognise familiar parts of the countryside. And after what seemed like a short drive, there it was: Arcadia Bay, painted like a picture amongst the dark sky. With very little light pollution, the stars were in clear view, as was the moon; they were so beautiful.

There was very little activity in the town. Despite looking as if a rebuild project was underway, nobody was around. The only presence we noticed was a plume of brownish-green smoke down by the beach, that Chloe had pointed out.

'You wanna check it out?' Chloe suggested.

I hesitated for a moment. 'Of course.'

'Then let's go.'

The source of the oddly coloured smoke was an RV that was parked up in the lot overlooking the beach. Chloe and I exchanged quizzical looks, before ditching the truck. As we approached the RV, I noticed an oddly familiar stench that hung in the air. I couldn't think where it was from.

'You smell that?' Chloe looked at me, her face stern. I nodded. 'Meth lab. Taking advantage of the lack of activity, I guess. They're probably even paying off the builders. Let's get out of here. Leave 'em to it.'

Without warning, I heard a door slam shut behind be as soon as I had turned to walk back to the truck. I span back around to see who it was; the light spilling from the RV-meth lab hit his face, and as my eyes focused, I made out the familiar features on his face. Chloe shouted at the man before I had a chance to.

' _Frank_? Frank fucking _Bowers_?'

'Oh, look, it's Bonnie and Clyde,' Frank sneered. 'You want product, you make a call like everyone else.'

'We aren't here to buy, Frank. We were just leaving-'

Frank began to advance, cutting me off. He was wearing some sort of hazard suit, without a hood. From the few times I had met him, precautions like that seemed out of character.

'You didn't even tell me what happened to Rachel. Just save it Max,' he interrupted as I opened my mouth, 'I know she's dead. Chloe told me.' That made me feel pretty bad. It wasn't like we were close or anything, but I should have at least texted. Another thing that I did wrong.

'I'm so, so sorry, Frank.' I hung my head, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

'Thought you were leaving, anyway?' He asked. It was more of an order than a question, so I turned around, and walked away, taking Chloe's hand and pulling her with me. We were on the edge of the car park when we heard a low rumble. Definitely a car engine. When the vehicle came into view, it was too dark to see exactly what kind of car it was. The car parked up, switching off its lights. The driver door opened, and out stepped a very confounded Warren, holding two pizza boxes.

'Max!? Chloe!? The hell?' He exclaimed.

'You're cooking meth, you fucking brat!?' Chloe yelled, angrily gesticulating with her fist.

'Chill out! After the storm, I, uh, needed something to do! Doesn't hurt that what I ended up doing brought in loads of cash, for me and my family to rebuild,' he reasoned. Despite his new, immoral, and completely out of character occupation, he had a point. Frank raised a finger to chime in.

'And he's really good at it. Like, I never really made my own stuff before except a few times? It was fucking dirt. You could get a better high from smoking baked beans. The stuff we cook now? It's like, eighty five percent pure. You have any idea how good that is for a hick dealer like me? And you know what's even better? I don't even have cancer!' Frank was practically yelling. His last sentence had confused me, so I looked to Chloe, who was trying to hide her smirk. She glanced over to me.

'TV show reference,' she explained.

I nodded. 'Ah. Right.'

'Show actually finished a couple of months ago. We should watch it together,' she suggested.

'Sure,' I nodded again. Frank directed his gaze towards me once more.

'Riiight, so if you dykes have finished whispering sweet nothings, you mind telling me why you're still here?' Frank asked, mocking politeness. Warren stepped forward, haphazardly balancing the pizzas.

'Here to see me, probably,' he sighed, 'I told you it was a bad time.' He looked down at his shoes. 'How long do I have, Frank?'

'Twenty minutes.' He exhaled sharply. 'Not a second longer.' Warren nodded, walking over to Frank, handing him his pizza. He returned, and started leaning against the hood of his DeLorean. I looked up into his brown eyes.

As an artist, I'd learned to appreciate everything about my environment, especially the details. A person's eyes can reveal so much about them. How they are. How they've been. Under Warren's eyes lay huge bags, and his eyelids were hanging far down his eyes. Red veins snaked their way around the white of his eyes, further emphasising his stress. He showed plenty of friendship towards me, but little affection; I guess he did like Brooke more than me, after all. He clearly missed her. Even so, the light in his eyes, the determination and enthusiasm was still present. His two great loves: science and esoteric television shows wouldn't abandon him, at least.

'So then, Heisenberg,' Chloe began, likely referencing that show again, 'what have you found that you couldn't just say over the phone? I'm only jerking your chain. It's good to see you, I guess.'

'Well... after researching Max, I decided to look up everything else weird that happened, and try and connect the dots - the snow, the dead animals, the double eclipse, the storm, and her powers. Then I thought - what if they aren't connected? Or maybe some are, but others aren't?' Warren paused, opening his pizza box, taking a slice. He then continued after taking a bite. 'It was a long shot, but I went down to the marina, handed the guy a wad of cash and asked for boat schedules. Maybe that would explain the dead whales. You'll never guess who took a ride out, off the books on Wednesday the ninth? Sean Prescott.' Warren finished the slice of pizza. 'That's not even the suspicious part. He took out his boat, loaded with a wooden crate, sailed out and came back without the crate. And his trip was way short, too short for a joy ride.'

Chloe opened her mouth as if to comment, but stopped and thought, before opening it again. 'So you think there's some sort of conspiracy? You think big Daddy Prescott is hunting whales with boxes?'

'I dunno. It's a stab in the dark, but if we could find more, we could connect this weird boat trip to the dead whales. I've also been working on trying to find out where the storm originated from, but I haven't gotten too far with that. Work's keeping me pretty busy.' He took another slice, biting into it. 'But it's definitely not from the middle of the ocean - it came from the bay.'

'And he rented a boat, instead of using one he owns. Why do you think that is?'

'Because what he did was illegal, which was why he went off the books,' I deducted.

'Very good, Caulfield. Thank you, human greed, for allowing me to buy that guy. So what I'm thinking, is you two get down to the marina, dig up what you can. I'll look more into the storm once Frank and I have finished with this batch,' Warren said. He talked about his crime as if it were just another daily chore. Then again, Chloe and I had stolen five thousand dollars from Blackwell - who was I to judge?

'Alright, Cap'n! Ready to trespass again, Mad Max?' Chloe chuckled.

'Cap'n? When did we become pirates again?' I giggled, kissing her on the cheek. She blushed. 'C'mon, let's go.'

'I could get used to this,' she muttered, shrugging. 'Catch ya later, Warren.'

'Yeah, see ya.'

'WARREN!' Frank's voice came from the RV.

'WHAT?' Warren shouted back.

'DID YOU GET THE PSEUDO?'

'WE WEREN'T RUNNING LOW ON PSEUDO, YOU TOLD ME TO GET MATCHES!'

'AW FUCK! SORRY! GET SOME PSEUDO, AND HURRY UP!'

I saw Warren clamber into his car as Chloe reversed the truck out of the car park, and back onto the road towards the marina.

'So what are we gonna do once we get there?' I asked eagerly.

'Obviously, the place is gonna be a wreck. If it's not completely fucked, then we're gonna look for some files, anything related to Prescott. See if we can pick up a trail. If not... maybe we should pay a visit to the Prescott Estates,' she briefed.

'Sounds like a planaroo.'

Chloe chortled. 'Planaroo? You're a dork.'

'Yes, but I'm your dork.' I smiled sweetly. She sighed happily.

'You got that right.'

It was a short five minute drive to the marina. We both tried to ignore the havoc that the storm had wreaked on the town, carrying on silently. The marina itself was in poor shape: the boathouse was obliterated, as well as the boats it contained. The surrounding trees were destroyed, in addition to all the house wreckages. However, the office building adjacent to the boathouse was still standing: it had sustained heavy damage, but it was still there. We parked up by the building, leaving the car together. The only question now was 'how do we get in?' Which wasn't too hard to answer, as the storm had left most of the Bay's buildings with less walls than they originally had. We entered through a broken section of the building - all that was left was to find the right office, and the right files. If they even existed.

The interior of the building was pretty damaged, too. Some walls had collapsed. At least this time, I wouldn't be making pipe bombs.

'Alright, so we're gonna split up, look for these papers. You know the drill, just get anything related to Sean Prescott,' Chloe ordered.

'Got it, sir,' I acknowledge, mock saluting.

'That salute would make David throw up,' she said. Poor guy. I wondered how he was doing.

Chloe had ventured off into an official looking room, with what I assumed was a computer. 'Aha!' She yelled, 'score! I'm gonna grab the hard drive. Keep looking just in case the drive's damaged.'

I sauntered up the hallway casually, using the light on my phone for guidance. A sign on the floor had caught my attention. It read 'HEAD OFFICE.' _Well, that was easy,_ I thought, heading into the doorway where the sign had dropped. There was a smashed computer in this room, too - but this one was literally obliterated. The hardware was shattered all over the floor. Not getting the hard drive from that. Instead, I settled for searching through the weathered (ha) desks and metal filing cabinets. The desks were locked, for the most part. One drawer contained a somehow unharmed pack of smokes, and a lighter. _Why the hell not, you could use some stress relief,_ I bargained, bringing a cigarette to my mouth while lighting the other. It tasted pretty shit, and I coughed a little as I inhaled, but I did feel a little better after my short smoke break. I pocketed the rest of the packet and the lighter.

The metal filing cabinets weren't locked: they were also handily marked by date. I figured I'd start from the bottom. Empty. I pulled the handle of the next drawer: also empty. The next drawer was a different story, however, and the first tab I saw was one marked _10/01/13._

Nice!

It was odd that in our modern age, some people still kept hard copies around. More than that, it was lucky. After sifting through a few files, I came upon the ones I was looking for: Sean Prescott, the time he left in the rented boat, the time he returned, the type of boat, and what was in it. There was another file - one for the Tuesday, the day before. A boat, rented by Mark Jefferson. Was he capturing fish, tying them up, and then photographing them? I doubted it. I took both files, and stood up, only to see a tall, lanky punk with blue hair, grinning mischievously at me.

'How long have you been there?' I asked in wonder.

'About half a minute. What have you got?' She replied, the smile still playing on her lips.

'Hard copies. You're gonna want to-' I was cut off by a completely unexpected noise. Or, noises. Voices, in fact. Men. Our heads perked up, grins vanished.

'Alright. Just find the files, plant the fakes. Boss wants it done fast, don't be seen, alright?' The voice was deep, and raspy. Menacing, to say the least. Chloe had shuffled to my side.

'The fuck do we do, Chloe? We gotta scram!' I whisper-shrieked.

'Fuckin' A,' Chloe said. 'You wanna go all sneaky-beaky, or just make a run for it?'

'Running is out of the question. You know, if we fuck up, I gotta rewind. I can't do that too much. How many?'I hissed. Chloe poked her head out for a few seconds.

'Three. They just went into different rooms further down the hall. If we're quick and quiet, we'll make it. Max... fuck, Max... they got guns! It's a fucking cleaner crew!'

'A _what?_ '

'Later! Move it, soldier!' She barked, somehow managing to keep the volume down. We crept in unison, down the hallway, back the way we came. I didn't want to risk trying to find another exit, only to have no options. The 'cleaner crew' were making no attempt to mask their presence. The hole in the wall we had entered through grew nearer, and we practically jumped through it, sprinting back to Chloe's rusty brown truck. Chloe didn't even wait for me to shut the door before starting the engine. Actually, I'm fairly certain the truck had started moving before I even got in!

After turning into the road, Chloe slammed her fist against the dashboard repeatedly, shrieking and yelling in delight, yelling insults and curses of varying obscenity at the men in the building who probably couldn't hear her. After her... episode, she turned to me, greatly slowing the vehicle down.

'Did I frighten you? Sorry. Had to do something with all that adrenaline. Holy fuck, Max! That was some total Sam Fisher bullshit! I mean come on! We were fucking awesome!'

'The Blackwell Ninjas strike again!' I laughed, a triumphant grin engulfing my face. Chloe was right - I was pumped. What was even better, was that we had what we came for.

'Wow, Max, that was great, but I'm beat. American Rust? I doubt Frank will rain on our parade again. He seems pretty preoccupied with his ingredient shortage.'

So _that's_ what pseudo is! An ingredient! Pseudo what? And what were the matches for?

'Uhh... Chloe,' I murmured, slightly embarrassed at my lack of street-knowledge. 'What's pseudo? Why did Frank tell Warren to get matches?'

Chloe smirked. 'Pseudoephedrine. They wanted matches, for the striker strips. Red phosphorous. Seriously dude, Breaking Bad is what sparked my interest in chemistry. Watch. It!'

'Alright, alright, I give in. I will,' I surrendered.

I took out my phone to text Warren.

 **Meet us at the junkyard in the morning. If you don't know where it is, ask Frank. XOMAXO**

With that, I rested my head on Chloe's shoulder, until we arrived at her hideout.


	7. Chapter 6

**19th October, 2013**

The gentle strums of a guitar from some indie track played through my earphones as I awoke next to Chloe on the couch she had moved inside her hideout. After our daring mission, we came here to the junkyard. We put the papers down, flopped down on the couch together and just held each other for the night as we drifted off into sleep. It was really nice, just being with her. But it was morning now: my phone read 8:13. Warren could turn up any minute, and there wasn't any point in wasting his time. Gently, I nudged the sleeping beauty beside me. She began to stir, assuming that characteristic scowl that followed after being awoken. It was cute.

'Wake up, buttercup,' I whispered, kissing her forehead.

'I don't think I'm gonna be able to get up if you keep doing that,' she grumbled back, the scowl quickly dissipating.

'Seriously though. We have to get looking at these files, ready for when Warren gets back,' I stated. Chloe rolled her eyes, and remained slumped against the couch.

'Sure, whatever. Just give me a sec to wake up.'

I rose from the couch, stretching and yawning. The sun shone through the translucent windows, illuminating some of Chloe's face, defining her features. I breathed out heavily, still exhilarated from our escape. But now we were in danger: real danger. The same danger Chloe was in when facing Nathan Prescott, the same danger I was in with Jefferson, and the same danger Kate was in when she was up on that roof. We could die - and Chloe already had, multiple times. If I died, that would be it. No rewind, no closure, just pain for Chloe, Kate, Warren, my parents and everyone else who had suffered. No, I would find the truth, and keep my friends alive. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a familiar figure approach, trying to step quietly, likely trying to embrace me from behind. Slender arms reached around my waist, and a head of blue hair lay itself upon my shoulder.

'Hey,' she whispered, kissing my neck gently.

'Hey,' I replied. Chloe had always very touchy, but I didn't take issue with it. She released me from her grasp, leaning against the wall, bringing a bottle of beer to her mouth. 'How old is that, exactly?'

She grinned. 'Couple of days, probably. I have a cooler, don't worry about it. You want one?'

I grimaced. 'Ew. No.'

'Your loss.' She took a swig.

'We should get outside. Wait for Warren. He's probably on his way.'

I took Chloe's hand, pulling her into the sunlight. Light white clouds dotted the blue sky, and the autumn smell of leaves, grass and all things green consumed us. Chloe inhaled heavily, looking the most peaceful as I'd ever seen her. Strawberry-blonde roots were beginning to make an appearance. I noticed a doe lying on the train tracks nearby, enjoying the sunlight. Why do I keep seeing this doe everywhere?

My thoughts were interrupted by Warren rolling up in his car. He wore a red tee shirt and blue jeans, and his movements seemed very laboured. The boy clearly hadn't been sleeping - the bags under his eyes had only darkened.

'Hey, guys!' He said, with a little less vigour than he normally did.

'Warren! How's it going!' Chloe swaggered up to him, offering a fist bump. Warren pounded the fist, and sat on a rusted car husk that lay nearby.

'I'm doing pretty good. Frank's got me working, even when I'm not cooking. Moving product around the state. It's tiring... but he slips me MDMA to keep me going. It's all good.' He attempted to smile, but it was clearly lost in translation. 'I hate to be rude, but once I tell you everything you know, I'm hitting up the first motel I see.' I placed my hand on his shoulder, comforting him.

'It's fine, Warren,' I smiled. 'Now, did you find anything?'

'Yeah... I did. I did all sorts of tests - even took my Geiger counter with me. And it started clicking, like, a little more than usual. It's completely safe here, don't worry, but I took some pebbles from the beach to look at under a spectroscope.'

Chloe gave him a weird look. 'You got hella thousands of dollars and you buy _nerd stuff?'_ She exclaimed. If it were me, I'd just be buying a fuck load of camera stuff. She'd just, I don't know, probably buy a brewery or something.

'Not just any nerd stuff. It's cool nerd stuff, Chloe? You know what a spectroscope is? It's like this-' Chloe cut him off with a groan.

'I may have dropped out, but I know what a fucking spectroscope is,' she hissed. Warren threw his hands up in surrender.

'Alright, alright, I didn't mean anything by it. But as I was saying, I'll take a look at it soon, I promise. But this is big, guys. More radiation than normal? It's too much to be a fluke.'

'Could it be connected to what was in Prescott's wooden box?' I inquired.

Warren frowned. 'Max, I really don't like the implications of that. But it's possible, yeah.'

'Warren's right, this is worrying. We have to get to the bottom of this, Max!' Chloe cried.

'Yeah, yeah. The next step is to try and find the guy who spoke to Sean Prescott. There's no more Arcadia Bay police, so any backup he's got is hired muscle. We already saw that in the marina. We have to be careful.'

'Alright, guys. I'm out. If you need anything - finances, bootleg movies, hired guns, drugs-' he winked, 'text me. I'll see you later.'

'Warren, wait!' Chloe yelled, taking the hard drive we had recovered from the marina out of her jacket. 'Could you take a look at this?' She handed the drive over to him.

'Of course. I'll get back to you in a few days. Bye.'

Chloe waved, and I smiled meekly. 'Goodbye, Warren. Thank you for helping us.'

'Wouldn't be the first time. Probably won't be the last.' He winked again, got in his DeLorean, and left.

Chloe walked over to me. 'Can we get something to eat?'

'Your appetite never relents, does it?' I chuckled. 'Sure, let's get some breakfast. I'm pretty hungry. But where to go?' Chloe's face fell.

'Just get on the road and hop into the first place we see. I don't wanna start heading back to Seattle until we find our marina guy. He could be dead, for all we know.' She looked at the grounding, sighing. 'Alright. We gotta find out who this guy actually is, and whether or not he was around on Friday. If the marina has a website, should be easy enough, right?'

I nodded. 'Right. We may need Warren's help. Would there not be a client list on that hard drive?'

'Should be. Depends what that computer was for. Come on, let's get out of here! I'm starving.'

We got into Chloe's truck without another word. She started the engine, which coughed and spluttered, before kicking into action, growling like a tiger. The punk hit the gas, getting the truck moving out of Arcadia Bay once more. She tuned the radio in to some indie station, probably for my sake; I appreciated it. She kept the volume high to drown out the vehicles clattering engine. Despite the constant rumbling of our stomachs, it was a nice journey - driving along the neglected tarmac, listening to the soft voice singing along with a guitar backing. The autumnal colours were showing, the reds and oranges and browns mixing with the grey of the road. It was, truly, serene. I got to forget everything that had taken a grasp on my thoughts, and appreciate the world. Not a world of futuristic architecture like Seattle, or a cityscape like Portland: no, this was the natural scene of the Oregon coast. The area I grew up in. My home.

After the drive, we pulled up outside a diner, way out in the boonies. It was fairly clean, and in good shape too. This would do. We got out of the truck, me gently closing the door and Chloe slamming hers. She practically sprinted up to the door and opened it, holding it for me.

'After you, m'lady.' She bowed her head in mock respect.

'I didn't realise Warren's sense of humour was so contagious,' I remarked as I passed her by. We took our seats in a booth, and waited for someone to come over. Before long, a young woman did so, holding a jug of coffee.

'Morning ladies!' She chirped in an almost irritatingly southern accent, 'what can I get for you?'

Chloe's ears perked up. 'Ooh, ooh! I'll have, er, full English! Please!' She smiled from ear to ear at the thought of a place of bacon, beans and sausages.

'Right, right. What about you darlin'?' She turned to me.

'Uhh... Belgian waffle, please and thank you.'

She nodded, producing a couple of mugs seemingly out of nowhere and plucking them on the table. She filled them with coffee. 'Drink up now, your food will be ready soon.' The lady smiled, and walked into the back of the building.

'Why don't we do something tomorrow?' I asked, trying to catch Chloe's eye. She was gazing off into the distance in deep thought.

'Say what?' She mumbled, her blue eyes darting to meet mine. I giggled.

'I said, why don't we do something tomorrow?'

She smiled. 'Oh, right. Sorry, I was thinking about food. Sure. But I don't want to lose sight of our investigation, Max,' she declared. 'The Prescotts are in this way deeper than we thought, and we're gonna find out what they're up to. And with one less Prescott to deal with, it shouldn't be too hard.' A vicious grin consumed her face.

'Chloe, please don't gloat, or joke about it. He died. Because of Jefferson. He was still a kid, he had issues and-'

'Max! He fucking killed Rachel! He killed me! He could have killed you, or Warren! Hell, him and Victoria are the main reasons Kate literally felt that she needed to die to get away from them! Do we really need to go through this?' She half yelled with much indignation. We were lucky the place was empty.

'Jefferson used him... He wasn't a nice person, or innocent, but he doesn't deserve all this...' I murmured, not entirely believing what I was saying.

'Speak for yourself.' Chloe breathed out forcefully, trying to keep her cool. 'Just stop it with your 'be the better person' bullshit! He deserved what he got, and Jefferson deserves the same. You can't disagree with that. How can you still be an insufferable hippie pacifist after everything!? God, you're so naive...'

I could barely believe this. She was supposed to be my rock, my best friend, my _lover -_ but here she was, blowing off all that pent up Chloe steam. I really, really wanted to argue with her, but before, I could, she took my hand, and looked at me in the eyes.

'I'm sorry. I get cranky when I haven't eaten.'

Pulling my hand away from her, I slouched back into the seat, folding my arms. 'Yeah, because that totally excuses everything you just said.' I could see the conflict in her eyes: to fight, or to accept.

'You're right, Max. I was wrong. We're...' she paused, almost falling into deep thought again, 'we're a team. And we can't fight. But I stand by what I said. Nathan deserved what he got, and nothing you say can convince me otherwise.'

I sighed. 'Then let's just agree to disagree.'

'Kay.'

Jesus Christ. She may have matured a lot since facing death multiple times, but she still had a long way to go. There was a short, awkward pause before Chloe spoke again.

'Still love you though.' Seriously, make up your damn mind.

'I love you too. That'll never change.' I said anyway.

The waitress came over bearing food. It smelled pretty good, and after our little spat, I couldn't wait to just chow down and have an excuse not to cause any more arguments. The food smelled delicious, and I could see Chloe practically drooling. Ew...

The diner food was great, as diner food tended to be. Of course, it didn't come close to the Two Whales, but that was fine. I don't think any food could have come close to anything from there, whether Joyce cooked it or not. Joyce... another life taken by the storm. David and Chloe seemed to be fairing well as could be expected. I shoveled another mouthful of waffle into my mouth. _Nice,_ I thought, as Chloe ate her breakfast with roughly the same grace as a starved wolf. Before long we were both finished, and heading out of the diner, paying for our food and leaving a generous tip. Well, I left a tip - Chloe just left.

And once more, we were back in her truck.

'So, Maxgyver, what's our next move?' Chloe said timidly.

'Well. Let's find a place to hole up for the time being, we have to have some sort of base where we can look at all the clues. A motel, maybe,' I suggested. She nodded.

'Hiding in plain sight. I like it. Also far more comfortable than American Rust.'

'We're good for cash, right?'

Chloe nodded. 'We're loaded. Should keep us for about a few weeks if we need to stay out. We got Warren too, right?'

I rolled my eyes. 'Warren isn't just going to give us money whenever we ask for it. He's sending some to his family, remember?'

'Ugh, okay, okay, guess we'll have to be smart about this. We should call the marina, or try and find out whoever owns it. Should be easy, right? Just look online?'

'Except we don't have a computer.'

Chloe waved a wad of banknotes in my face. 'Yeah we do! It's just in paper form.' I snorted.

'Because walking into a tech shop and handing over like seven hundred dollar bills for a laptop isn't suspicious. At all.'

'Who cares? Come on, let's go!'

I had to give it to her, you couldn't dampen her spirit. She put the key into the ignition, and with its usual spluttering serenade, the car started. We drove along the road again, rejoining the pleasant atmosphere. The sun was beginning to shine even brighter than it was previously, casting a shadow of the truck on the road. Nobody else was driving, which meant Chloe could drive as fast as she wanted - within reason. So it was only around ten or twenty minutes after leaving the diner when we saw the motel. It was pretty run down, but as long as it had electricity, internet and beds, I didn't care.

We entered through the front door, and I waited while Chloe sorted out our room. She handed over the cash, and lead me to the room where we'd be staying. It was mostly in good shape, with a round table and a couple of chairs, a double bed with nightstands either side of it. There was a door in our room that lead to a bathroom, I assumed. It was basic, but nice. Chloe sat down on the bed, wearing a glum look.

'Well, this is home for the next few days. Listen, about how I flipped out earlier... I really am sorry.' Her blue eyes shone with what I could only describe as sincerity.

'It's okay. You're human, shit happens. It's cool,' I reassured her. Her face lightened; I moved in to hug her. She returned the embrace, and I kissed her on the cheek lightly. When we parted, she stood up.

'Alright. I am going to go to the store, get a laptop. You can stay here and blaze up, or something, I probably have some grass in my truck in the glove box. Wanna come with?' She motioned towards the door.

'Can't we use your phone? Mine's too old for internet without being a total pain.'

'Max, my phone's broken. I haven't had chance to get a new one. Besides, I've been wanting to replace my laptop for a while now. I'll be back in an hour or so, promise. Don't have too much fun without me.' Chloe winked, and walked out of the door. Great. I had some time alone to nap, undisturbed. I undressed, lay down in the double bed, and rested. I reflected on all that had happened. The bad, and the good. I thought about how we had all changed - Warren, with his new career. Kate, who was back to her bubbly, mildly outgoing self. Even I had become someone new - I wasn't a pacifist anymore, as Chloe had pointed out. I'd become more confident, but my heart still ached with the loss of Joyce, Alyssa, Daniel, even Brooke, who had thrown shade my way whenever Warren showed interest in me.

I didn't know what time it was when I came out of my drowsy state. I wasn't asleep, but I wasn't awake. I was dreaming, but it was one of those types of dreams where you can snap yourself out of it whenever. Which is what I did when Chloe burst through the door, carrying a laptop. She set it down on the round table, and shook me to see if I was awake.

'Max?'

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up gradually. 'Hey.'

'You must be tired.' She smiled, but not in a condescending way - in a genuine, sweet manner. It was kinda cute.

'I'm always tired now. Come lie with me?' I offered. She grinned.

'Thought you'd never ask.' Chloe made her way towards the bed, lifting up the covers, and hopped in next to me. I curled up facing her, her slender arms reaching around to hold me. 'What are we even going to do once we find this guy, Max?'

'Ask him if he has any idea what was in that box. Ask him what he knows about the Prescotts. How far Sean Prescott is involved. These leads... they might lead to nowhere.' Chloe frowned.

'We'll get to the bottom of this. I know what you're thinking, Max. You didn't cause that fucking storm,' she claimed indignantly. And she was right - I didn't cause that storm. I had a feeling, but no proof.

'Thanks for believing in me.'

She smiled; I kissed her. She was taken aback, but returned the kiss regardless.

'So when do you wanna find out that number?' Chloe asked eagerly.

'Not yet. I wanna stay here with you, for a little longer.'

'I don't blame you,' she said, kissing me again.


	8. Chapter 7

**19th October, 2013**

After our brief siesta, Chloe and I were sat at the table, looking at her laptop. She had pulled up the website for the marina as I held my phone.

'Alright, Mad Max. You got the number?'

'I think so,' I replied nervously. I was never great at phone calls - despite my recent boost in confidence, I was still anxious. Chloe had found the cell number of the manager, and I'd suggested we call to see what we could find out.

'Well?' She said. 'Are you going to call, or what?'

I looked up at her. 'Yeah, sure.' Without delay, I hit dial, and listened to the tone. Chloe urged me to put it on speaker, which I did. Eventually, the person on the other end picked up.

'Hello? Is this about the marina? It's gone, don't bother.' It was a man, fairly old, speaking in a low, deep voice.

'Hi... um, yeah, it is. I have a couple of questions, actually.' The man sighed in response.

'Fine, fine, whatever. You some kind of journalist or something?' He asked. I jumped at the chance to cement my cover story; Chloe nodded frantically.

'Yeah, yes I am actually. I wanted to do a piece on Arcadia Bay, talk about the economy and... stuff...'

'Riiiight...' He drawled. Chloe put her thumbs up sarcastically, so I flipped her off.

'But then the storm came and all my work went out the window. So I decided to turn my article into a report about what had happened. I actually came to visit the marina and I spoke to someone there on Wednesday. I was wondering, uh, could you tell me who was working that day? So I can find them?' Chloe still looked comically dismissive.

'I'm sorry Missy,' replied the man after a short pause. 'We don't give out employee information. If you have any questions, I'll answer them if I can. But that's all I can do.' Damn. Chloe looked my way apologetically.

'Alright, sir. I'm sorry to have taken up your time. Goodbye.' I hung up. Chloe stood up, coming to sit by me.

'Damn. Well, we've still got Warren to come through with the hard drive. Don't worry about it, babe,' she comforted.

Babe. We'd never really called each other pet names before - I swear I shivered when she said that.

'We'll find this guy. He isn't dead, I just know it!' I exclaimed.

'Well, with no more leads, we have to whoooole day free. What do you wanna do?' She began to approach me, trying to nudge me down towards the bed. I giggled.

'Chloe!'

'What?' She said in fake obliviousness.

'As much as I would love to do, erm, you, I need new clothes. These ones stink and you can't argue with that.'

'You have a point, Caulfield,' she sighed. 'Let's go then. The sooner we get this done the sooner we can fuck, right?' Her signature grin once again permeated her face.

'Sure,' I chuckled, taking her hand and leading her through the door. 'It's not really fucking, though, is it?' I pondered once we had clambered into her truck. Chloe twisted her head around, her fading blue hair flicking about, gazing at me quizzically.

'What else could it be?'

'Well...' I began, trying to find the words. 'Fucking is like, what people do on a one night stand, right? But we're not like that.'

Chloe nodded in response. 'Yeah. We're forever, Max. But it's just a word,' she reasoned.

'I know, but it just... doesn't sound right to me.'

She started laughing. Not with condescension, but simply as if I was being funny. 'God, Max, you're hella romantic. I love it.' I raised an eyebrow.

'I did not think you were the romantic type!' I laughed.

'A lot has changed since you left, you know. We've been together for what, a month now?' She smiled good-naturedly.

It was good that Chloe had decided to forgive me for leaving her - something which I deeply regretted. I decided to play with her a bit. Turning away from her slightly, I looked out of my side of the truck's window, as if I was in some kind of pop-ballad music video. I let an expression of sadness crawl on my face, and could feel Chloe burning up beside me.

'Oh Max. You know I didn't mean anything by that. I was only joking with you,' she cooed, putting an arm on my shoulder. 'I'm sorry, I get that some things shouldn't be- hey, are you laughing?'

I couldn't keep it up much longer. Sniggering, I turned back to face her, and promptly burst with laughter.

'You were fucking with me!' Chloe yelled, lightly punching me on the shoulder. 'You're unbelievable!'

'You're so easy to fool!' I almost-cried. 'Oh that was great. It's a pity I can't take video-polaroids.'

I hadn't touched my camera since the whole Arcadia Bay incident. It was a shame, really, but I wouldn't need it until school started up again in January. I was thankful for the break we had - even if it meant I'd end up having messed up grades. My future wasn't of great consequence. There were only three things that mattered to me: Chloe, my friends, and getting to the bottom of this goddamn Prescott mystery. Hell, dropping a wooden crate in the middle of an ocean is fishy - the fact the person doing the dropping was Sean Prescott actually gave me a reason to investigate.

The father of Nathan Prescott. The man who had funded Jefferson, and paid for the Dark Room. I shuddered at the memory of it. Seeing the folders, and those photographs. Poor, helpless Kate, who was stuck in a pit of despair. Rachel Amber too, who I would never get to meet. Not to mention the countless other girls who he had most likely victimised. I thought of myself in the Dark Room. Tied up, unable to breathe. And at the time, Chloe was dead. Everything I believe in was out the window. I hated Jefferson, and at that moment, I swore I would kill him for shooting the woman I loved.

So if Sean Prescott was acting suspiciously, there could only be more bad fortune in store. I made another vow: I would find out what was going on, and put a stop to it.

While I was considering my theories, Chloe had started the truck and we had already arrived at the nearest town. She was glancing over at me, then back at the road. Finally, she spoke.

'You alright?'

I sighed. Seemed to be doing a lot of that, lately. 'Yeah... I just got lost in my thoughts for a second.'

'Thinkin' about what you're gonna buy? I've gotcha covered. I'll help you if you want,' she offered. I smiled pleasantly.

'Thanks, but punk rock isn't really my style. I just wanna get some jeans, a few tops, a jacket and then get out. Back on the road,' I said.

Chloe groaned. 'Maaaax... try something new for a change.'

'Chloeeeeeee,' I mocked. 'How about you try my generic brand shirt, hoodie, and jeans then?'

'Wouldn't be caught dead wearing that trash,' she snickered playfully. 'Alright, here we are.'

She had apparently pulled up outside the first clothes store we came across. Lazy Chloe. We left the vehicle, eager to purchase some new clothes. We probably looked like complete messes, which would explain the myriad of funny looks we were getting from passers by; it didn't bother us. When we were together, nothing else was relevant. We were caught up in this haze of emotion, giddiness, ecstasy - it was like a drug. Love.

We were only in there for about half an hour before I came out with a couple of flannel shirts, a pair of black jeans and a pair of blue, and some new sneakers. Chloe had purchased a some new tank tops and a new pair of jeans, but these ones were ripped. We had also bought some fresh underwear for good measure.

While driving on the road back to our motel, Chloe wore a nervous expression. She kept nervously glancing at the rear view mirror, and then back to road frantically.

'What's up with you now?' I asked.

'Look in your wing mirror. See that grey SUV? He's been on our tail for a while now.'

I did as she suggested, and yes, there was a grey SUV behind us. Its windows were tinted. Not a good sign. 'It's a coincidence,' I reassured, 'nobody saw us leave the marina. We're safe.'

'I don't feel safe! I'm going to try and shake him,' she said anxiously. I sat back and let her do her thing. We couldn't have been followed, could we? Unless we really were spotted back at the marina...

Chloe was a pretty good driver. She made lots of turns which eventually lead us out onto an even more obscure road - away from the SUV. It broke off from our tail a few turns before Chloe got us where we were, but she 'just wanted to make sure.'

'He's gone, Chloe. Can we get back now?' I pleaded. Her nervous face hadn't relaxed much, but at my reassurance, she seemed to ease up a bit.

'Alright, Max. Let's get back. Call Warren. See if he's found anything,' she said. I grabbed my phone, opened the contact list, and started the call.

'Hey Max! I'm a little busy at the moment!' Warren gasped. He sounded somewhat exasperated and a little panicky.

'W! Get off your phone, we got shit to do!' A voice came through; it didn't belong to Frank.

'See what I mean? Call me back in thirty. I got big news.' He hung up. I didn't get a single word in.

'That was brief. Is he fighting rival drug lords?' Chloe was smirking.

I shrugged. 'I haven't got a clue. He says to call him back in thirty minutes. He has big news.'

'Well that's ominous,' she said casually. 'Guess we'll leave him be, for now. Have you spoken to Kate recently?'

'No, why?' I asked.

'We're gonna need all the help we can get. Get her to come down and meet us.'

'Chloe, it'd be a little inconsiderate to ask her to drive all the way down here,' I pointed out. I did feel pretty bad, though: not keeping in touch was a bad habit of mine.

 **Hey!** I typed out. It wasn't even ten seconds before Kate head read my message.

 **Hi Max! How are you?** A good question. I wasn't sure I knew myself. Did Kate even know what we were doing? Had Warren said anything to her?

 **I'm doing great, thanks! What about you?**

There was a short pause before Kate began typing. **Bored out of my mind. Alice is at the vet's and I have nothing to do.**

I noticed the car coming to a stop. We had arrived back at the motel. Chloe peered over, looking at my phone.

'Well, isn't that just convenient!' She said, adopting an overly smug tone.

'Ugh. I hate you,' I joked.

 **Why don't you visit me and Chlo? It's a long drive, and you don't have to, but the offer's there...**

Kate began typing immediately. **I was hoping you'd say that? Where are you?**

I glanced up to view the name of the motel.

 **It's called the Northgate Motel in Oregon. I followed up by giving her directions.**

 **Setting off now! See you soon!**

'How hard was that?' Chloe gloated.

'You really are unbearable.'

'You love it.'

I laughed. 'Sure do.'

After leaving the vehicle and walking back to our room, we decided to order pizza and chill for a bit. We fooled around for a while and watched TV for a bit before I decided it was time to call Warren back. 'You'll get the pizza when it comes, right?'

She laughed. 'Like I would just abandon food.'

I chuckled in response, taking my phone out of my pocket again, dialing Warren.

'Hey Max. Sorry about earlier,' Warren said.

'It's alright. How's it going?'

He sighed. 'Not great, Max. Am I on speaker?'

'No...'

'Put me on speaker,' Warren demanded. 'Chloe will want to hear this.'

I hit the speaker button. 'You're on speaker, Warren.'

'Alright, listen up. You too, Chloe.' That got her attention. She came to sit next to me on the bed. 'I plugged the hard drive into my own system. There are names, dates, locations. All marina employees, from what I can see. Last entry was on the eleventh. They're being tracked.

'There's a lot of shady stuff on here. More names and locations. Shipment and transaction logs. The numbers don't add up. The total expenditures, gross income, net income, tax whatevers - it's all wrong. So I did some more digging. It's worse than I thought. This is a front.'

'A front for what?' I asked, already knowing the answer.

'Organised crime. They were using the marina as a front to launder money.'

Chloe took a step back. 'Shit. Max... what if we really were being tailed? Oh God... what have gotten ourselves into?'

Warren continued. 'Be really careful, guys.'

'Is there anything else?' I pressed.

'That's all I got. From the amount of money I'm seeing here, these guys have resources. I'm a call away if you need anything.'

'Thank you, Warren. It was good talking to you.'

'You too, Max. Bye,' he said, hanging up.

I eyed Chloe, who was sitting on the bed, frantically tapping the floor with her foot. 'You know what this means?'

'What?'

'We can use this guy's ties to this crime faction as leverage,' I explained. 'Get the name of our guy. Maybe his location, if he has a second receiver for whatever kind of tracking device he's using.'

'Alright, Max. Good thinking.'

I began yet another phone call, back to the manager of the marina. He sounded even more worn out than before - he must have recognised the caller ID.

'You again!? What do you want?'

I took a pause to think out my answer, trying to adopt a cool, harsh tone.

'What I asked you for earlier. I want to know who was working at you marina on Wednesday the ninth of October.'

He sighed. 'I already told you-'

'I don't think the authorities would be very happy to hear about your... side business, now, would they?'

He gasped. 'What are you talking about?'

Purposefully, I let out a small chuckle. 'Money laundering or whatever it is you're doing down there. Now, the authorities don't have to know... all it'll cost is the information I need. I know you're tracking your employees, too, so don't try to play dumb.'

'Alright, alright. Give me a couple of minutes.'

'Stay on the line. If you go off, I go to the police.' I have to admit, I was enjoying myself.

'Okay!' He cried, exasperated. After a long pause, he spoke again. 'Alright, I'm looking through some files now. I had two guys working that day. One of them is dead now. The other is in Portland, staying at a hotel called the White Cap on the south-west side of the city.' He gave a precise address. 'That's all I can give you, okay?'

I sighed, relieved. 'Thank you. How hard was that?'

I was answered by a low tone. He had hung up.

Chloe wrapped me in her arms.

'Woah Max! You were badass!'

I giggled. 'I was pretty good, wasn't I?'

The pizza had arrived. Pepperoni for Chloe, barbecue chicken for me. It was delicious; I hadn't had pizza in a long time.

'This is sort of nice,' Chloe stated after a while. She got up, leaning against the window, gazing out of it longingly. 'I've always wanted to get out of Arcadia Bay. Maybe we'll go to Santa Monica after all of this, Max. Rachel and I were going to go... She would have loved you, you know.'

I knew she meant well, but I couldn't stop the rising pang of jealousy. After all, Chloe _had_ been in love with Rachel. At least for once, I had a reason to feel insecure.

'I hope so. She sounds cool,' was all I could think to say. So much was still playing on my mind. Whether or not to reveal that I had euthanised her in the alternate timeline. That I had managed to save William, only to kill him again. The more I left it, the more it felt like I needed Chloe to know the truth - but I feared retribution. There was no doubt that she would be angry. Furious, even. She probably wouldn't even want to see me.

'Max. You're not jealous, are you?' Damn. She read me like a book. I said nothing, letting her continue. 'Hey. Look at me.' I fixed my attention on her. Chloe had put down her pizza, and was staring at me with those azure eyes. 'I love you, and only you. It's been really hard for me to get past Rachel, and a part of me will always remember her. But my time with you... just that one week was the best week of my life. And now we're together again, I'm sure there will be more best weeks. Rachel was my best friend... but she wasn't a good lover.'

'Want to talk about it?' I asked. Rachel was actually the last thing I wanted Chloe to talk about. But it would help her to get it off her chest.

'Well, obviously there's Frank. I'm sure you heard the rumors about her and Jefferson... ugh,' she began. 'And Nathan. All at the same time. And there's me, stuck in the middle, like always. Sometimes, she'd be begging for my attention. Other times, it was like we barely knew each other. It was like I was just a backup in case one of her many boy toys was acting up.' She paused to take a breath. 'She didn't feel the same way. The way I felt about her. It was always just physical for her. It was like I was only half a person, because she was the only thing that mattered in my life at that point.'

It was pretty cathartic, hearing her rant.

'Thanks for listening, Max. I feel a lot better now.' She finished her pizza, leaning against me.

'I'm always here,' I assured her, planting a kiss on the head of blue hair that was resting against my shoulder. 'I'm going to take a shower now, okay?'

'Not without me you aren't,' she proclaimed, a grin encompassing her face.

For the next couple of hours we sat together, watching TV, making small talk to pass the time. Finally, my phone buzzed. A text from Kate.

 **Look outside! :)**

I jumped to the window, which overlooked the parking lot. Kate stood, leaning on the bonnet of her car. I couldn't tell what make and model it was. However, some distance away, a grey SUV was parked up. I cursed loudly.

'What?' Chloe's head perked up.

'It's the SUV,' I said. She bounded to my side, eyes wide.

'Oh Christ!' She cried, throwing her hands in the air, 'what have we gotten Kate into?' My proactive side kicked in.

'No time to worry about that. We have to leave!' I began throwing our few possessions into the various bags we owned. 'Alright Chloe, time for a plan. We have to get Kate clear. Know any places to meet?'

Chloe nodded. 'We can get to American Rust easily, shake em there.' I tapped out instructions on my phone.

 **Listen carefully. Chloe will pull out of the lot, remember her old beat up truck? Follow her carefully. Keep an eye out for my texts.**

'Alright Chloe. Go. Lead Kate there, she will follow. I'll catch up.' She looked appalled.

'And leave you? Fuck that.'

'They're after me, not you. If I get into trouble, I'll rewind, alright?' I reasoned. Chloe's expression eased up a little. She leaned in to kiss me.

'Don't die on me now, Max. I love you.'

'I love you too. Catch you later.'

Chloe pulled our bags over her shoulder, donned her beanie, and left the apartment. Leaning on the windowsill, I watched, waiting for Chloe to get in her car and leave. Eventually, the head of blue hair topped with a beanie revealed itself, along with the leather jacket and classic ripped jeans. She was walking at a brisk pace, yanking the driver's door open, throwing in our belongings with wanton abandon. She climbed in after them, slamming the door shut behind her, starting the truck. Finally, the rusty beast pulled out of the lot, followed by a sedan which I assumed belonged to Kate. The grey SUV stayed put.

A sigh of relief escaped my chest. The SUV still wasn't moving; I _was_ the one they were after. Now - how to escape unnoticed? Try to blitz my way past them, rewind and basically teleport? Risky. Try another stealth move? Find a backdoor. I began pacing back and forth, frantically racking my brain for a solution. Looking for a backdoor seemed to be the best course of action, but ironically enough I was pressed for time. I couldn't go using my powers as I wanted.

I took one last look out of the window. There were three men in casual getup heading towards the entrance of the motel; the SUV was vacant.

'Fuck!' I cursed semi-loudly. 'Well Max, out the window we go.' I shook my head, waving away the silly notion. That couldn't work... could it?

We were only one floor up - I could hang out the window and jump down, without doing too much damage. The men had already entered the building - trying to evade them inside the motel was futile. I fiddled with the window latch, trying to get it open. It came free eventually, and I pushed open the window. It was old architecture; the window opened sideways, like a door, perpendicular to the wall. Perfect. I leaned out of the room, making sure nobody was watching. Taking a deep breath, I scooted out of the room. I tensed as I gradually lowered myself down, out of the window, my converses scraping against the brick wall. Bracing myself, I dropped down onto the hard concrete below. My legs gave way as I collapsed, my thin fame unused to these kinds of acrobatics. I threw my hands out, quickly stabilising myself, pushing up to get me back on my feet. I was already in motion, thundering through the lot, heading in the direction that I saw Chloe pull out. I must have ran at full speed for a solid two minutes before my lungs gave way, and I ducked behind a row of shrubbery on the side of the road.

 **Safe. For now. Directions?** I frantically tapped out a message to Chloe. I had a lead, but once the men had figured out I'd given them the slip, they could come hurtling down the road right after me. A buzz from my phone told me vaguely where to go. Chloe had probably already figured out they knew where we were from my message to Kate.

Shit, that was a long way on foot. The sun was setting already, and I had a good few hours to walk before I'd reach the safety of the junkyard.


	9. Chapter 8

20th October, 2013

The mud squelched under my feet as I carefully placed myself across the difficult terrain. I had taken a detour, staying close enough to the roads so as to be able to follow Chloe's directions, but far enough away so I wouldn't be spotted by the SUV which I assumed was in pursuit. It must have been several hours since I had escaped their motel search - I had to be home free, right?

The wind was howling, the moon shone brightly above with the stars performing their twinkling dances millions of miles away. Trees lined the muddy field I was traversing, swaying in time with the wind. My thin grey hoodie did not shelter me from the harsh, biting chill. My hood was pulled up, concealing most of my features; it was one of the things I liked most about that hoodie.

Trying to move as fast as possible, I made my way over to the trees, vaguely in the direction Chloe had described. There were no fences to climb over, thank God - all my energy was spent. The sight of these trees reminded me of all the times I'd spent with Chloe up in the forest near the lighthouse as a child. My mind flicked back briefly to the storm, when we'd hidden up there. We'd kept each other safe.

'It's us versus the world, Max. You made the right choice.' Her voice echoed through my head. I recall feeling her frantic heartbeat as my head was resting on her chest.

'Fuck everyone who isn't us,' I had said.

Caught up in my memories, I didn't notice the rumble of an engine some hundred metres behind me. Loud, boisterous voices emanated from the vehicle.

'Wilks, stay here. Philips, cross this field up to the tracks and keep your eyes out. She has to come this way. I'll take the car back to Pan Estates, link back with the cleaners. Maybe get our weapons back, finally.'

'Got it.'

'Goody.'

The voices were different to those who were at the marina. So that's why they didn't follow Chloe - they didn't know about the truck! We'd still have to ditch our phones though. At least we knew where they were based. Pan Estates. It was incredibly likely they associated with Sean Prescott.

The directions my girlfriend had sent me lead me only to here. It was best not to be too specific, now I was being hunted directly. I bolted towards the treeline, trying to evade my newest pursuer. The man had mentioned tracks... train tracks, perhaps? All I had to do was follow them south. That would have put me right outside American Rust.

The trees had enveloped me, but my short sprint had knocked what little stamina I had left right out of my body. I leaned against a tree, feeling its cold bark scraping against my back, tendrils of sweat reaching down my back. It took a good few seconds for my breath to slow as I tried to keep it under control. _In, out. In, out._ I heard a rustle, perhaps ten metres away. Whipping my head around, I tried to identify the source of the noise. _Fuck me, that was fast!_

I darted round to the other side of a thicker tree trunk. All I had to do was wait until he went on the tracks and I'd be well on my way. Then it hit me - if he kept following the tracks, he'd eventually find the hideout! I had to do something. My eyes scanned the ground, looking for rocks, loose branches, anything I could throw away to get him running on a wild goose chase. I stretched my left out towards a medium sized brown-grey pebble nearby, trying to kick it back with my heel. It came loose from the ground, and I caught it in the palm of my hand. I stepped out of my cover to get a better aim... only to be met by a man who was at least half a foot taller than myself. His eyes were a dark brown, wide in shock. I saw the glint of a knife, and dodged back instinctively. The man lunged forward, growling.

'Come on now. Don't be stupid.'

I focused on backing away. How was I going to do this? There was no way I could outright beat him in a fight - I was going to have to rewind, get behind him somehow. I made a beeline around him. His reactions were quick, making an aggressive step towards me: I threw my hand out, watching as time rewound. He turned back, angrily staring at the tree, and I let my hand fall, stepping directly behind him.

Upon returning to normal time, he was directly in front of me. Before he had even begun to process my disappearance, I threw a kick towards the back of his kneecap. It connected. sending him tumbling forwards. He caught himself, swiftly pulling out the knife and spinning around. He gasped in surprise, throwing his arm forward with the knife in a stabbing motion. I was just out of his reach. He stepped forward, swiping at me this time. Instinctively, I brought my hand up to rewind. Now I knew his next move. As soon as he brought his limb up to slash, I caught it in a vice-like grip, twisting it, pushing hand away as hard as I could.

He screamed as the blade pierced his chest, straight below the sternum at an angle into the heart.

'What the fuck!?' I swore as I backed away. Had I just killed a man? In cold blood?

His body was still laying on the floor. He tried to move, rasping, begging for air, but it wasn't doing him any good. I ran away, down onto the tracks, as fast as I could towards the junkyard.

Adrenaline coursed through my blood, powering my retreat. I couldn't let things stay how they were - I had enough on my conscience already. I had good distance - I could see faint light shrouding where the junkyard should be. At that point, I had already passed the point where I had saved Chloe's life for the second time.

Sighing, I decided it was time. For what I hoped was the last time (at least for a while), I brought up my right hand . The strain on my mind was indescribable. The world again turned grey-blue as I played with time like it was my toy. After a few minutes, I could go no longer, collapsing to the floor for a few seconds before picking myself up to stagger towards the junkyard.

A short walk along the tracks took me up to the brick outhouse. I tried to ignore the pain in my knees as I stumbled up the shallow incline. Voices were coming from the wrecked building.

'Chloe?' I called. 'Kate?' It was silent for a few moments, before Chloe emerged around the corner.

'Max...? Max!' Her face lit up, and she threw herself at me, wrapping me in the warmest, sweetest, safest embrace I had ever known. Kate was there too. The second Chloe let go, my other friend had leaped at me, hugging me. She had buried her face in my shoulder.

'Hey, Kate.'

'Hey, Max.'

Chloe was standing away, her hands on her head. 'You crazy, crazy bitch! I wasn't sure if I was ever going to see you again!' Once Kate had released me, Chloe reclaimed her position of being practically attached.

'I told you I'd see you later! Also, you need to put out that campfire,' I said hastily.

Chloe immediately walked up to the campfire, stamping it out.

'Good.' I tried to regain my composure. I was able to get a better look at Kate, because this time she was standing a few metres away and my vision wasn't full of frantic female. Kate seemed to have had a sudden change in style: she still had her hair up in her signature bun, but was dressed in a black t-shirt with a grey sweatshirt currently tied around her slim waist. She was also wearing a pair of blue ripped jeans, and a pair of work boots. Of course, she had not neglected her golden cross, which still adorned her neck. 'It'd be best to stay quiet too. I'll say more when I wake up, you should both get some sleep.'

Kate and Chloe nodded in unison. 'It'll be easier now we know you're safe,' Kate said.

'Amen to that. Sweet dreams, I guess,' Chloe added.

Without another word, I stumbled into the outhouse, falling into a corner of a couch Chloe and Rachel had probably moved into there at some point. My eyes drifted to some nearby graffiti:

YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE

Next to it was were the words:

Chloe was here

Rachel IS here

Max was here

Mine and Chloe's names had been circled. Probably a doodle done by Nathan when he was doing God knows what up here. Still creeped me out nonetheless.

Rachel was already past saving, unless I had somehow gained the power to rewind time by about half a year. But I wouldn't let anything happen to Chloe. _Nathan, you sick fuck. Chloe was right. You fucking deserved to die._ After a few seconds, I let the angry thoughts drift away as I myself drifted into the tendrils of sleep.

After a thankfully dreamless night, I began to stir. The morning was bleak, but my spirits were lifted when I noticed Chloe next to me on the battered old couch. Kate sat on the floor nearby, fiddling with her phone. I crawled off the couch, and over to sit next to her.

'Morning, Max!' She smiled brightly.

'Good morning. How's it going?' I asked.

'I'm really good, thank you for asking.' She beamed, but after a couple of seconds, her face fell, contorting slightly, before eventually displaying worry. 'Max? What's that on your jacket?'

'Uh...' Looking down, I noticed a red splatter on my hoodie. Shit. I had killed someone earlier, right? But since I'd wiped that timeline, I hadn't killed him. But somehow, the blood was still on my clothes. And on my hands. 'Kate... you remember how I asked you to stamp out the fire? It was because someone was coming. But before I got here, he caught me on my way up. He pulled a knife on me... and I...' I couldn't keep going. Stopping to regain myself, trying not to recoil at the violence I had committed, I searched for the words to help explain myself. Killing someone, even in self defence... I still couldn't believe I had done it. Is this who I had become?

'It's blood. I, er, rewound after I stabbed him though! He's alive!'

Kate gave me a sincere look; she then proceeded to wrap me in a warm embrace.

'I hope you're okay. He tried to kill you. You did what you had to do to get away, and you still tried to undo that. You're still a good person,' she whispered.

'Thank you,' I said, 'thank you so much for that.'

She pulled away, smiling. 'Don't mention it.'

A noise from the couch brought me back to my senses as I saw Chloe begin to stir, moving into a slouching position on the couch.

'Good morning Chloe!' Kate called.

'Mmmgmurningkate,' she mumbled. Kate giggled at the drowsy bluenette who was currently trying to find the strength to stand up, muttering something about not being a 'morning person.' Clearly. I hopped up onto the couch next to her.

'Morning, Chlo.' I kissed her on the cheek, making her blush.

'Hey girl. Sleep well?'

'Better than I have, which is strange, considering...'

'Considering what, doll?' She was fully awake now. I let my body lean against her, exhaling heavily as I told my tale of the night's events. How I ended up with blood on my hands, blood which was still on my hands - blood that had not been spilled.

For a few moments, my girlfriend stared at me in awe. 'That's fucking awesome!'

'Chloe!' I snapped disdainfully. She backed off, holding up her hands.

'Woah, okay, okay. I'm sorry you had to do that. But still... I guess you didn't? Ugh, this time travel shit makes my head hurt.' She kept smiling.

'It isn't a fucking joke!' I protested. 'Chloe, I killed a man! I don't want to turn into a murderer.'

She stopped smiling. Fixing me with a sincere stare, she put her hand on my shoulder, gently. Kate watched as Chloe began to speak.

'Self defense isn't murder. You did the right thing. You always do. How could you ever do anything wrong, anyway? He would have killed you, then what would I have done? What about Kate and Warren, and everyone else in your life? Everyone who loves you, Max. What would we have done? You won't end up like Rachel. Not on my fucking watch.' Her pep talk managed to dispel some of the guilt I was feeling, bringing forth the inspiration I experienced when Kate revealed that her and Warren were doing research of their own. _How could I do anything wrong? Well, I could create an alternate timeline where you end up slowly dying and put your family in millions of dollars in debt. Then I could wipe it out through taking your father away from you. That's how._

'We're on your side, Max. Always,' Kate chirped.

'I don't know what I'd do without you guys,' I said. 'But I know what we have to do now. When these guys decided to try and hunt me down, I heard some orders. These guys are camping out up in Pan Estates. We should check it out.'

Chloe grinned. 'More ninja action, huh? Kate, you can be the getaway driver, right?' Her expression changed for a second; she looked confused. 'Why didn't those guys just follow me when Kate and I ditched you? They were tailing us, they must have known about my truck.'

'Looking for me, probably. They were different guys than those at the marina who almost caught us. They know me from Sean... Damn!' It all made sense now. Why we were being tailed by the SUV. Why it just happened to turn up at the motel after I had texted Kate. 'That fucking asshole has my phone number! He was tracking us, that's how they knew! That's how they got to the motel! And Kate...' The blonde was paying attention. 'I dragged you into this. If you want to get out, head off to Seattle, we won't hold it against you.'

Kate stood up dramatically, as if about to make some bold statement. 'What did I just say about being on your side? You were there when I needed you most. I'm not abandoning you. Besides,' she nodded in the direction of Chloe's truck, 'chances are, that truck _has_ to be being watched by someone. So you all get to experience the Kate Marsh below-driving-limit experience.'

Chloe groaned loudly in response. 'Duuuude!'

'Seriously though. Let's all ditch our phones. Throw them onto the tracks, whatever. Then get out of here.' Kate sat back down.

I nodded. 'Kate's right. Chances are, someone's got their eyes on this place. We should find a new spot, plan the job. Then once we've got solid evidence making the link between these cleaner guys, or whatever they are, and Prescott, we... we'll figure it out. Get to the bottom of it.' Nodding once more, I finished speaking. Chloe began to clap.

'Woo! Max for president!' Chloe sang. 'Hey, what about my truck?'

I shrugged my shoulders. 'Move it, if you want. It's risky, if you wanna take it out to the Bay.'

'I'll move it further into the junkyard then,' she resolved. Chloe jumped off the couch, jogging towards her truck. Two minutes later the rusty, noisy beast was mostly hidden from the view of any passers by, and our phones lay shattered on the train tracks for good measure. She patted the bonnet of her vehicle lightly. 'I'll be coming back for you.' She turned to us. 'What are we waiting for? Let's go!'

Kate's sedan was very... Kate. It was was quiet, well maintained, and extremely clean. It was like she vacuumed it daily, or something. The car was literally spotless. She drove extremely modestly too, leaving upon Chloe's face a permanently angry expression. We were sitting in the back seats, with our luggage in the front seat next to Kate. I hadn't even noticed I'd been staring at Chloe until she pointed it out.

'Why are you looking at me like that, with that smiling face?' She half-snapped.

'Cuz you're cute when you're angry,' I replied, leaning in to kiss her nose. She snorted.

'Max! Stop!' She squealed girlishly, flailing around as I went in to tickle her.

'What's that Chloe? What are you gonna do about it, huh?' I taunted, aiming a kiss at her neck.

'Goodness me!' Kate exclaimed. 'You were making out on my couch, you're... fondling each other in my car... do you have an off switch, Max?' She kept her eyes on the road. But I could see her face in the rear view mirror, and she was trying (but failing) to suppress the smirk on her face.

'Ah, we're sorry Kate. Really. Max was just trying to cheer me up, because 'Jesus take the wheel' here drives like an old lady...' Chloe snarked. Kate exploded into a fit of laughter, but quickly suppressed them in order to focus on driving. Didn't stop the odd giggle from escaping, however.

'So, where to?' Kate asked.

'Wherever it's safe. No idea. Blackhell. Any building that's in shape. I don't care,' Chloe said. Kate nodded slowly.

'Blackwell is part of Prescott's little empire. We need someplace out of the way so we aren't tangling with the builders, and we need someplace that isn't owned by that asshole,' I stated.

'Yeah...' Kate began. 'We could camp out in the woods?'

'You mean near the lighthouse?' Chloe asked.

'Yeah!' Replied Kate, 'But it would be easier to stay closer to the bay, so we can go in and get out when we need. Listen, I know I'm not as daring as you two, but I really don't think this is a good idea.' She stopped, thinking what to say. 'These people tried to kill you, Max.'

'And they have guns!' Chloe added.

'All the more reason, then. I'm not saying ditch, but we really have to think this through.'

'Strategy and shit!' Chloe added once again, with more vigour. Kate frowned, but made no comment on Chloe's profanity.

I smiled to myself. A dangerous idea had already formed in my brain. 'You guys are right. Which is why we go directly to the source of the problem: the Prescott Estate.'

 _'WHAT!?'_ Kate and Chloe exclaimed.

'Are you fucking insane?'

'No way!'

'Hear me out,' I chuckled. 'If our evidence board is intact, we can get the coordinates easy. Then all that's left is to get in, get our evidence that he's hiring mercs or whatever and then get out. Easy.'

'Oh. Right. Easy. Surely he's gotta have some guys stationed there, right?' Chloe inquired.

I thought for a few moments. 'Depends. If he's paranoid he might, but there's no way he'd expect us to attack directly.'

'I don't like taking chances,' Kate contributed.

I exhaled slightly. 'That's why we run at the first sign of danger, and execute plan B.'

'And what's plan B?' Kate asked.

'I don't know!' I shot back, almost comically.

Chloe cleared her throat. 'This isn't something we can just wing. We're gonna have to 'case the joint' as they say, ya know?'

'Alright. Sure. We're gonna have to go back to yours though... see if our board survived.'

Chloe went silent, suddenly beginning to twiddle her thumbs around. 'Can I, um, stay back?' She gave a short, pained chuckle. Her voice became strained. 'Not sure I can face going in there. The memories, of uh...'

I took her hand in mine. She didn't say it, but I knew she was thinking about Joyce. 'Of course. I can go it alone.' Truly, I believed what I was saying. Despite feeling a sudden lurch when Kate pulled up outside Chloe's old house, I still felt that I had enough confidence to revisit what I considered a second home.

The house was in pretty bad condition. Things didn't look particularly hopeful from where I was standing; at least the builders hadn't got round to renovating this part of the town yet. Perhaps there was more luck to follow. I opened my door, and stepped out into the light of the chilly autumn day. My stomach lurched once more as I took a step towards the broken house. Breathing deep, I inhaled the fresh, unpolluted coast air, getting my head back in the game.

'Okay, Max,' I whispered, 'you can do this.' I pushed open what remained of the splintered white door, and stepped over the threshold. Debris lay everywhere. Family photos, ornaments, the television - everything was splayed out all across the house. Holes dotted the walls and ceiling, and it seemed that the bathroom had collapsed - the tub had sunk through the ceiling, leaving the bottom half dangling threateningly. 'Just find the board, and get out.'

I made a start towards the staircase. There was a hole in the middle. I put my foot on the first step, wary of misplacing my foot and tripping. I hopped over the gap in the staircase. 'See? Easy,' I reassured myself, before opening the door into Chloe's room. It was a tip. Speakers lay broken on the floor, remnants of her hi-fi system. 'Oh, you poor thing,' I mused aloud. Discs were also scattered on the ground - Chloe's USA flag was had most likely flown away somewhere. How apropos would it be if it were to end up in San Francisco.

Finally, there it was. Snapped in half on the wall: our evidence board.

'Well, shit.' I examined it closely to see what was left. Pictures of Nathan's car, pictures of Kate... co-ordinates. Bingo. I grabbed the photo of the estate. Co-ordinates were written on the backside in black marker pen. Perfect. Everything else, including David's work, most of the stuff we had on Frank and Nathan, would have to be abandoned. I stopped for a moment, thinking. This was where it all started. The spark that had pushed me into realising how I felt about Chloe.

 _'For example... I dare you to kiss me.'_

Oh, the look on her face when I went through with it... Priceless. Heh.

It was time to go. I took the same route out of the forlorn building, remembering to carefully navigate the treacherous stair case. I opened the door again, walking out into fresh air. Kate and Chloe were waiting in the car.

'I got what we needed,' I stated, climbing into the backseat next to Chloe. Kate was nodding away to something playing in her earphones. She wasn't really paying attention to anything.

'Great work, Max. All we gotta do now is locate the estate, and be on our way. Then we'll find out what Prescott is up to.'

'You haven't forgotten about our man in Portland, have you? We need to catch him before he leaves,' I remarked.

Chloe smiled. 'He won't be going anywhere. The White Cap Hotel is for long term tenants. Let's just focus on the task at hand.'

'You're right, Chloe. Here,' I handed her the photo of the estate, 'find out where that is. Co-ordinates are on the back.'

She groaned in response, and tapped Kate on the shoulder.

'Hey, bible basher!'

Kate span round, jokingly glaring at Chloe.

'What do you want, delinquent?' She shot back. The punk gasped, faking offence.

'Kate Marsh! How rude!' She chortled. 'Could you pass me my laptop, please.'

'Of course,' Kate replied, digging around in our belongings for the laptop and handing it to Chloe.

'Thanks.'

Resting the device on her lap, she powered it on, the screen flashing up with her desktop with surprising speed. She hadn't yet changed the background, so it still displayed the classic Windows 7 default.

'You got the co-ordinates locked in?'

'This isn't fucking Stargate, nerd,' she grinned. 'But yes, Carter, I'm on it.'

'SG-1? Really? Atlantis is waaaay better,' I retorted, waiting for the reaction.

'Fuck you! You can _never_ beat the original. What was that Atlantis shit anyway? Wraiths and shit? The Goa'uld were so much better.'

Kate snickered from the driver's seat. 'Are you two going to bicker about nerd stuff or actually give me a destination.

Chloe and I both recoiled, firing Kate hyperbolic glares.

'Kate Marsh!' Exclaimed Chloe.

'How dare you!' I added.

'This is _our culture_ ,' Chloe gasped, 'you can't just write it off as _nerd stuff.'_

'Besides,' I smirked, 'you're _Kate Marsh._ You're one of the biggest nerds I know.' Chloe and I ended our grand rant in chuckles.

Kate beamed from ear to ear. 'Alright. Less banter, more direction giving.'


	10. Chapter 9

**20th October, 2013**

Kate pulled her sedan to a stop outside the estate. There was a large mansion some distance away, surrounded by other land that was probably used for... something.

'Alright children, we're here,' Kate drawled, a tired look on her face.

Chloe shrugged. 'Yaaaaay.' I remained silent, trying to think. We had to form some kind of strategy - right now we were just winging it. The hardest part would be getting in. There was a small force of armed guards, most likely for keeping away the press. So that excuse was out the window.

'Maybe we could get a closer look?' I suggested. Kate obliged, moving the car forwards slowly.

'That's as close as I'm willing to get. Still not a great view.'

Chloe huffed. 'So, we're turning back now? Great.'

'What's got you in such a mood, huh?' I asked. She paused for a while, before looking up ruefully.

'Sorry... it's just, I'm getting really frustrated with all this. I just want us to be normal, Max,' she mumbled. Poor thing.

'We will be soon. I promise.' I took her hand, looking deep into her sky blue eyes. 'Let's take a walk?'

'Sure,' she smiled.

'We'll be back soon, Kate. We're just going to take a look around.'

The blonde nodded. 'Alright. Don't take too long, though, I wanna be back before it gets dark.'

'Back to Seattle?' I asked. Kate shook her head in response.

'I'm staying in the area. Go on now,' Kate gave a small smirk, 'I'm not waiting here forever.'

'Don't you dare leave us!' I giggled, taking Chloe's arm and dragging her away from the car.

We walked around estate, staying on the perimeter. It wasn't particularly high security, but I was likely already on Prescott's radar. The evening sun was setting, painting the sky a dim orange, highlighting the wispy clouds hanging there. _Golden hour,_ I thought, as Chloe traipsed along behind me, head down, in deep thought.

'You okay?' I stopped, turning around to face her. She stepped forward, embracing me. I immediately held her, trying to make her feel safe, protected.

'I'm scared, Max. Really. This is deep, shit. Mercs? Organised crime? I'm fucking scared,' she repeated. I held her tighter. 'They're _dangerous._ He is. Prescott is a bad man.'

'He did pay for the, uh, dark room,' I reasoned. We broke apart, continuing our walk; hand in hand.

Eventually, we came upon a much better vantage point. We had an unobstructed view of the mansion: a three storey building. One guard stood in front of the front door and one on the back. The grey SUV was parked outside, along with a black JEEP. It was a big place, alright. Who knew how many other guards were on the outside? Or on patrol?

There were also giant floodlights. They weren't on yet, but they would definitely switch on as it got darker - no night time sneaking then. The windows were barred, probably a recent security measure. That place had to be a gold mine.

'Alright, let's get back now,' I said to Chloe, who was also gazing over the estate. 'Draft up a plan and then get this show on the road.' And so, we walked back on the outskirts of the property. Didn't want to be breaking any laws - yet.

Kate was leaning against the hood of her car, looking at the ground, clearly deep in thought. She looked up when she heard us, and smiled.

'Are you ready to go?' she asked.

'Yeah. Know where we're heading?'

She thought for a moment before answering. 'I'll check my phone for anything nearby.'

So we got into Kate's car, nobody saying anything. It was kind of awkward. I tried to think of something to say.

'Uh... Kate. I don't think I've had chance to properly thank you-'

'Please. It's no trouble,' she interrupted. 'Besides. You know I owe you. And who knows? Maybe I'll get some inspiration for a drawing.' She paused for a moment, her face lighting up. 'Perfect! Found a place a few miles away. Some seedy inn, but it's cheap and relatively close. That good?'

'It'll do. Thanks a lot, Kate,' Chloe said.

'You're welcome.' The blonde smiled.

The drive to the inn was only twenty minutes or so. When we arrived, we saw how rundown it really was. The building was at least seventy years old, with damaged walls, grimy windows and a very aged paint job. But it contained beds, so whatever.

Upon entering the building, the smell of smoke invaded my nostrils. Chloe instantly relaxed - she must have felt right at home, amongst all the alcohol and the smell of the cigarettes. Kate was rigid, on edge. Kind of hard not to be.

'You guys want a drink?' Chloe offered. Kate politely declined.

'You know what? Sure,' I said, taking a seat at the bar while Chloe sorted out the room. Kate stood there awkwardly, unsure. 'Come on Kate, have a seat. We're not going to pressure you into anything.' She nodded, sitting down beside me.

'Thanks for, you know. Being understanding.'

I nodded. 'Of course.' Chloe came by and sat down, carrying two pint glasses.

'Drink up Max! Oh and if you want to get settled in, we're room 32.' She threw Kate a key card. 'It's cool if you don't want to hang with us.'

Kate gave a small smile. 'I am pretty tired. Our stuff should be safe in the car. Night, guys. And uh... try not to wake me up later.' She winked, sauntering away.

'That little bitch.' Chloe chuckled to herself, taking a big gulp from her glass. She drummed her fingers on the bar, the chipped, fading blue polish on her fingernails moving up and down.

'It feels so good to see her happy again. Hard to believe how quickly people change...' I paused, taking a moment to drink. 'Take you, for instance. A month ago, you were a rebellious, angsty teen with anger issues. But now? I believe you have been tamed, Chloe Elizabeth Price.'

She grinned. 'Shut up, Caulfield. And don't think I haven't noticed you change either. You kinda grew balls, you know? Not even I would have dreamed up this whole thing. It's insane. You're really brave,' she added quickly, taking another lengthy drink.

'Kinda hard not to be brave, when it's the only choice you have.' I took a sip from my own drinking, making a face at the less than agreeable taste. Luckily, Chloe didn't notice.

'That's pretty deep, Max,' she replied. We both took big drinks. And it didn't taste any better, at least for me. Which Chloe found hilarious. 'Oh, you're so cute. You'll get used to the taste, eventually.'

The night continued with more drinking, more talking. Until we kinda stopped talking. I was beginning to feel lighter, and I didn't care so much anymore. I guessed that's what it was like to be tipsy. Eventually, after a few more beers, Chloe lead me to our room, unlocking the door with a card of her own. There were two beds, one of which was occupied by a very tired Kate, who was sprawled out on the bed.

'Oh no!' Chloe whispered loudly. 'There's only one bed.' She looked at me with big blue puppy eyes. 'Looks like we'll have to share...' She flopped down onto the bed. I climbed on top of the girl, meeting her lips with mine.

'Room for a small one?' I giggled.

'Plenty,' she replied, kissing me back. I felt her tongue brush against my lips and I began to feel weaker. She put her hands on my back, pulling me down towards her. 'Hey there.'

'Hi,' I whispered back quietly, going in for another kiss. God, her lips felt good. Divine, even. She truly was enchanting.

Of course, I would be pulled out of my trance by a giggle from a certain small blonde. 'You two should have gotten your own room,' she mused with another small laugh.

'You can join in if you want,' Chloe chirped. Naturally I was fairly peeved that I would be robbed of sexy times with my girlfriend - not to mention the aforementioned girlfriend was flirting with one of my friends!

'Chloe!' I gasped, slapping her cheek lightly.

'Chill, chill, I was joking. Unless you're both cool with the idea...?' She teased, a half-smile on her face leading me to believe she was at least half-serious. In response, I leaned over her, so my mouth was next to her ear.

'I'm not,' I hissed. 'I want you all for myself.'

'Damn, that's hardco-'

'Shh. Go to sleep, Chloe. You can't have any tonight.' I rose up, smiling at her devilishly. An incredulous expression was glued to her face. She simply nodded, settling down in a more comfortable position to allow me to lie beside her. 'You're totally whipped,' I whispered as we drifted off.

It was early in the morning when I woke up. Both Chloe and Kate were already up, frantically dressing.

'What's the hurry?' I asked groggily.

'Get your ass in gear, Max. I asked the manager to tip us off if anything suspicious started going on. I think we've been fucking tracked, AGAIN. He says he saw a black SUV, tinted windows, the whole shebang,' she briefed. 'Four guys at the least, armed to the teeth. Or something. Dude was bricking it, so we can't be so sure.'

When will this torment end? When will we be finally able to live free, away from death's grasp? Without further hesitation, I threw on a top and jeans, and slipped into a hoodie. After another thirty seconds, I had my trainers on, and we were ready to roll. We were way out in the middle of nowhere - if the guys following us were carrying, there was no reason they couldn't just pull guns on us and force us to do whatever.

We said nothing while we made our way through the corridor, save for a few quiet 'thank yous' to the manager. He nodded back worriedly, and we continued on our way, Chloe taking the lead and Kate at the rear. The punk opened the door tentatively; her face displaying a look of worry.

'Fuck! There they are. They look like they're waiting. Get ready to run. And Max...' she paused briefly. 'If the time comes... fucking blitz them.'

'I'll do what I need to do,' I said, faking confidence. How can one be confident about taking the life of another person?

So, we stepped into the early morning chill. We took several steps towards Kate's car - as we reached equal distance between her car and the motel, the distant SUV's doors opened. Five, not four, men stepped out. These guys were clearly not mere Prescott goons - he had clearly stepped up his efforts. They wore balaclavas, black combats, black tees, and grey ballistic vests. Upon seeing us, they drew handguns, aiming at us!

'Stop!' Called one of the men. We did so, as the team advanced, arrogant in their demeanor. We were fucked - it was exactly as I'd predicted. Nobody was around, we were in the middle of nowhere; the only building for miles around was the little inn. I glanced over at Chloe, who was fixing me with an intense stare, begging me to rewind, but I needed a plan. 'Alright,' the man said, who I assumed to be the leader, 'just walk over to us, and maybe we won't need to use our weapons.'

Fuck! I didn't have any photos to jump back into. If everything went to shit now, we were done for. Over. A few teens up against one megalomaniac with millions of dollars to spend on stopping us? How could I have been so stupid!? We never would have stood a chance, and here we are! About to get shoved into a car and then probably shot and buried out in the boonies!

 _Alright. Don't panic._ I tried to get a handle on my thoughts. _If I can get close enough and grab a pistol, maybe I can rewind with it and..._

Yeah, no way that was happening. These guys were trained, professionally. If these were Prescott's men, maybe I'd have a chance - but these guys had done this shit before. So, we walked over to them, keeping our hands visible. Kate moved closer to whisper in my ear.

'Pray with me. Please.' The desperation in her voice was obvious.

 _Okay... whatever deity really is out there... I could use a hand. Don't let me lose either of them again. Please._

I was answered by a low rumble, distant at first but gradually getting closer. A couple of the men were distracted, glancing in its direction. I took this as my chance, darting forward.

'Big fucking mistake, missy!' One of the other men yelled, rushing to meet me with a pistol whip to the face.

'Max!' Chloe yelled as I fell to the floor, my face pounding. That didn't work as well I had hoped.

'Hey!' The leader yelled. 'Didn't we tell bravo to let us know about oncoming traffic?'

'We're gonna have to do this quick,' another man grumbled. 'Into the car, kids, let's go.'

The man who beat me down, reached for me, picking me up with no effort at all. I was too groggy to really fight back, or rewind.

The grumble got louder in volume. It was low, coughing and spluttering. Definitely a large vehicle. I could only hear it. I felt a sharp increase in speed as the group jogged, Chloe and Kate being held at gunpoint. But we were too slow. The men swore as they brought their guns to aim.

'What? What the FUCK is Prescott's man doing here!?' One of the men hollered. The vehicle's engine grew louder as it approached, and I tried to position myself so I could get a better view. As I did so, the man holding me dropped me on the ground, bring his own weapon to keep Chloe, Kate and me still.

'He's not slowing down, boss!'

'Move!' 'Boss' screamed as a sickly sound of grille meeting flesh echoed. 'Jackson's down!'

One of our captors was dead, and now I could see the vehicle that had taken him down. It was an old, beaten up cream RV - a vehicle I recognised. The four remaining men opened fire, while the driver ducked for cover. One of the remaining men was stood behind the three of us, and we were hunched on the floor for cover.

'Reloading!' One man yelled as he ceased firing. With a loud crack, the RV's side door opened, and a rifle barrel appeared, shooting. With a spatter of red and grey, a bullet shot through one of the kidnapper's heads, knocking him backwards.

'Got the fucker!' Shouted a voice from inside the RV. The RV's driver stood up, aiming a revolver at one of the three remaining men. With a few more shots, he went down, his weapon sliding towards me. Everything was so loud and death was everywhere, I wasn't even sure if I could do this but now was my chance and I had to try!

I snatched the pistol with trembling hands. _So much for 'never holding a gun again.'_

The remaining to men, the leader and the man who knocked me out, had backed up for cover behind some nearby trees. The men in the RV were silent, for now. I could hear some chatter from the men who were trying to take us. They were radioing for backup.

I crawled towards the men hiding behind the trees. Every time they peeked out, I would rewind as much as I could to gain ground. After about five rewinds, I was behind both men, clutching the gun with both of my hands. My head was on fire, and I could feel a waterfall of blood from my nose, but that didn't stop me. I rose from the ground, aimed... and pulled the trigger. The one I aimed at had crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from the exit wound. The other man held a radio in one hand, and stared at me in complete shock. He fumbled for his own weapon, but he was too slow. I put a bullet in his brain before his hand touched the gun.

I staggered back to Kate and Chloe, the gun dangling in my hand. They were standing up, shocked at the bloodbath. More vehicles would be approaching very shortly - no way I could rewind and take back the call for help. I only had a few more seconds worth of rewind in me, if that. A figure stood in the RV, gun lowered.

'What are you waiting for? Come on!' He motioned for us to get in. Out of nowhere, a black jeep sped into the area, and heavily armed men disembarked - these men wore full body armour, and carried rifles.

'Fuck!' The figure yelled, firing at the jeep. He wasn't fast enough. I could only watch as Chloe was filled with bullets as she tried to run for safety.

'NO!' I screamed, instinctively throwing out my arm to take it all back. She rose again, the bullets shot back into the man's gun. They moved backwards, back into the jeep, and it rolled away as Chloe returned. Now, I was right next to Chloe and Kate.

'Max! The fuck-'

'No time,' I spluttered, coughing blood. 'Get to Kate's car. Now.'

They sped off while I staggered after them. We only had seconds. I realised the jeep would be upon us in mere seconds. No time to get to the car - I'd have to put my life in the hands of whoever was in that RV. I threw myself at the door as the figure who had previously beckoned me lifted me up with one arm, and put me into the RV.

'F! Get us out of here!' He ordered.

'On it!' The driver responded, kicking the RV back into life as the jeep pulled up. I couldn't see Kate's sedan anywhere - I could only hope they had gotten away. With swift driving like that, Chloe must have been the one at the wheel. I smiled, as I faded out of consciousness in the moving RV.


	11. Chapter 10

**21st October, 2013**

'Hey, kid! You awake?'

The man's voice was the first thing I heard as I came too, sitting up, trying to make sense of my situation. The speaker was none other than Frank Bowers, the driver of the RV. Currently, we were parked up, with someone else driving.

'A little groggy... thanks for the rescue.'

He grunted in response. 'Yeah. You owe us. We were on our way to meet someone.'

That made me think... what was it one of the snatchers had said? "What is Prescott's man doing here?"

"Prescott's man."

Frank was a pretty sketchy guy but there was no way he would stoop to _that_ level, surely. I had to know. 'Frank... I know it's none of my business...'

'It probably isn't, but what do you want to know?'

'One of the men shouted something about it being 'Prescott's man' when you rolled up. He didn't mean-'

Frank interrupted me, raising his voice. 'Don't you go assuming, now. It's a complicated situation.'

'Bullshit. You're taking me right to him, aren't you? I thought we were like, I dunno, frie-'

'I told you not to go assuming. You know what? Fuck this. Andrew! Can you explain everything to the lady? I'll drive.'

A voice came from the cabin. 'Sure. Head as deep into the next city as you can.'

'We're gonna have to get a new RV because of her, fuck sake. Thank God we ditched the lab, huh?' Frank replied, leaving this section to take the wheel from this 'Andrew.' He appeared from the cabin, tall, muscular with dark brown hair and green eyes. In a sling over his shoulder was an automatic rifle. An M16 of some variety. He leaned against the wall of the moving vehicle, eyeing me carefully.

'I'm only going to explain this once. Listen up,' he said, speaking in a very western accent. 'Both Frank and I worked for Prescott for a while. Frank mostly just peddled drugs to his underlings and associates. Sometimes used the RV for carrying more... unsavoury cargo. That's irrelevant. I'll put this bluntly - I'm the man who has been tracking you since you pulled your little stunt at the marina. REALLY pissed off old Sean, that did.'

So this was some super shady type guy, then. Great.

'I know what you're thinking. "Why rescue me, then?" Well, that's because Prescott's gone off the rails. Ever since his son died. Sent a lot of his goons to their graves in some sort of crime war. And now, he's crazy about you. Making sure whatever you found at the marina doesn't _ever_ come to light. We have orders to take you alive, but if you pose any sort of threat they will not hesitate to open fire, do you understand me?'

I nodded.

'Anyway, grass is always greener on the other side, right? So, I wanna cut ties with this guy before he gets me into some really deep shit. We were heading up this way to cut a meth deal with some guys before we ran into your... situation. I knew you were in this direction, but we had no idea we'd run right into you.'

I had to interrupt. 'Is Frank in on this?'

'Yes. He has his own reasons. Please don't interrupt me again. Now, you're here because if they find you, I've run out of time. I'll be stuck working for this asshole until my dying day, which will be pretty soon if things carry on the way they are. I gotta strike now, while he's obsessed with you. Once you're out of the picture, he'll be completely unreachable.'

'Why?'

'Man's involved with some real bad guys based in Seattle. Real bad. Drugs, racketeering, human trafficking, corporate terrorism, you name it. Once you're gone... he goes, really. Off the map. The entire Prescott empire goes to these guys, and he gets off Prescott-free. Excuse the pun.'

It was good to finally get some answers, even if they did terrify the bejeesus out of me. The man's effort at humour did little to lighten my mood, but it did make me feel a little safer, at least.

'Where are we now?' I asked tentatively. I would never forgive myself if we were halfway across the country, leaving Kate and Chloe to their fate. The man must have read this.

'Relax, we're still in Oregon. We're heading into Beaverton. Gotta grab a new RV now you're with us.'

Beaverton? Score! We were right next to Portland. But I was still chastising myself for not having an emergency meetup location planned.

'I hate to ask, but may I use your phone?'

'Are you dying?'

'What?'

'Are you dying?'

'...No?'

'Then no.'

'But I need to call my girlfriend! Make sure she's okay!' I had to admit it, calling her that did feel good. My raised voice also got a 'HA!' from Frank.

'When we stop for new wheels, you can find a payphone or buy a burner and call her.' And that was that. There was no arguing with this man. I sighed, and looked at the floor in defeat.

'Fine. So what's the plan?'

He stopped, closing his eyes briefly to think. 'I'm still supposed to be working for Sean. I'll keep his hounds off our trail, for now. We have to strike before he gets too suspicious. At the moment he locks himself up 24/7, paranoid bastard. We're working on a way to get him exposed while it's still possible. But one thing at a time,' he chuckled. 'We need to get new wheels. Rest up until we get there. Then you can call your girlfriend or whatever.'

'Alright. Thanks. One more thing-' I said.

'Yes?'

'Am I your prisoner now, or something?'

'Or something. Just do as you're told, and we'll all get through this.'

I still wasn't entirely sure whether or not to trust this man. Either way, it was out of my hands now. Just do as you're told, Caulfield. How hard could it be?

It was about an hour's drive into Beaverton. The sky had darkened exponentially, and rain now pelted the tarmac relentlessly. _Pathetic Fallacy at its finest,_ I thought, lying on a sofa-bed in the RV. The only other thoughts in my head were mostly about Chloe, and how she _had_ to be okay. I don't know how I would carry on if she wasn't. She could take care of herself and Kate, right?

And then there was Warren. I was under the impression he was Frank's business partner - was I wrong? Was it temporary? Did Warren end up out of his depths in his newfound job? If Frank was around, Warren had to be close by.

'Frank?' I called out.

'What?' He replied.

'Where's Warren?'

'I'm not his fuckin' mother, I don't know.'

I kept silent following his less than courteous answer. Whatever, it was an answer. Still, it meant he was likely alive at least, so that was one less anxiety on my mind. Fantastic, more room for the rest.

I had another question for him.

'Where's Pompidou?'

Frank sighed audibly. 'With Warren. Can you please stop with the questions for a while and let me drive?'

So once more I shut my mouth until we finally pulled up outside a showroom. Frank cut the engine, and left his seat to address me.

'There's a payphone down the street, turn left and you'll see it. Andrew will watch from here until you get there and then burn this piece of junk. I'm going to go and make the deal. No funny business, alright?' I nodded in agreement. Frank shoved some coins into my hand, and I stood up, stretching.

After leaving the RV and turning left, I saw the payphone. I started towards it, keeping my eyes open for anything suspicious.

After a short walk in the rain, I came to the payphone. I scrambled to put my change in - I was so desperate to call Chloe. My heart was pounding against my ribcage, and I felt a lump in my throat as I pressed the buttons, punching in Chloe's number. I was halfway through when I remembered that we had thrown our phones on a train track in Arcadia Bay. Fuck!

There was still a way I could, perhaps reach Chloe. I wasn't so sure whether or not we were on good terms but... I had to try. I watched as Andrew drove Frank's RV past.

Instead of Chloe's, I entered in the number of David Madsen's cellphone. Once again I held the receiver to my ear.

He answered swiftly, voice deep and dark.

'Hello?'

'Mr Madsen? It's me, Max Caulfield.'

He paused for a moment. 'Oh, uh, hi Max.'

'I'm not interrupting anything, am I?'

Another cautious pause. 'Not at all. What can I do for you?' He sounded really down.

'Are you okay?'

'Doing just fine, but that isn't why you called.'

Damn. So much for trying to be nice.

'No, uh, it wasn't. Do you know if Chloe got a new phone? We kind of... lost ours.' I gave a nervous chuckle.

'I'm afraid I don't. Sorry, Max.'

'Don't worry about it, Mr Madsen. Thanks for your time.'

'Sure. And... you can call me David.' With that, he hung up.

Fan-fucking-tastic. No Chloe, no Kate, no Warren, just two assholes and an RV. And some guns and no shortage of drug money.

I walked the short distance back across the road. The aforementioned RV had been replaced by a spanking new top of the line... I'm not even sure what it was. It was big. Luxurious. Frank leaned against it triumphantly, beckoning me over.

'Take a look at that, kid. Tell me you ain't wonderstruck.'

'It's... stylish,' I managed. He was right, of course. We would certainly have a good base - with the drawback of sticking out like a sore thumb. 'How did you get that so fast?'

He grinned boyishly. 'I guess you could say paying the 'advanced service fee' has its perks.' Oh great, you're proud of bribing people. Good going, Frank.

'Frank... I need to ask you something.'

He shot me a quizzical look. 'What?'

'I have to go somewhere... in Portland. It's really important,' I breathed out.

He briefly considered my request, then shrugged his shoulders. 'I dunno. Maybe. Anyway, get in the RV. Andrew's torching the old one. We're gonna go and pick him up now.'

He held open the door of the vehicle. Oddly courteous, for a man like him. I couldn't help but be amazed by how _expensive_ this thing was, and looked. Shiny stuff everywhere. Anything you would find in a house was here. And it had that great new car smell. We weren't even in a car.

Despite my wonder, I casually took the seat beside the driver's. After a few seconds, Frank came to sit beside me. He started the RV, and smiled.

We were on the road again. I assumed we were following Andrew, waiting for him to find a good spot to dispose of the old RV. Eventually, the road became rougher, and bumps more frequent as we drove deeper into the countryside. All I could think about was Chloe. We'd be reunited soon. I'd find a way.

I didn't even notice that we had stopped until Andrew boarded the RV.

'It's done. Let's jet. Find a place to set up for the night.'

It was obvious that Frank and Andrew had a detailed plan - one I did not know some of the details to. And I still had to get into Portland. The White Cap. Maybe finally get some answers. But for now, it was getting late, and if I was to make any progress at all, sleep would be invaluable. Drifting away seemed impossible with everything on my mind, but as the time passed, I felt myself fall into a restless trance.

The darkness and rain was extremely disconcerting. One second, I was lying down on a bed in the RV - the next, I found myself on a street, in a city. My heart was beating like crazy, and I was really thirsty. I stuck my tongue out to catch the falling raindrops. Slowly, I became more aware of my body. Somehow, I was taller, more lean, and muscled. I felt a beanie on my hand, and there was a cold, metallic weight in my hand: a gun. Chloe's gun. I examined it, the moonlight illuminating the black finish, reflecting the blue tint of my nail polish...

Blue nail polish? I looked down. I was wearing a leather jacket, a white tank top, blue ripped jeans...

I was Chloe.

It was then when I 'awoke.' The vehicle had stopped moving, and I felt blood trickling down my nose. Frank sat there, looking at me worriedly.

'Max? You awake?'

I nodded, my head pounding.

'What the hell was that?'

Hell if I knew. Another vision?

If that was true... then that could only mean worse things were to come.

 **Author's note**

Hi. Apologies for the late upload, I've been bogged down with boring school stuff. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to keep to a weekly upload schedule. Expect a new chapter every two to three weeks.

While I'm writing this, I would like to ask - how are you enjoying this? Before LiS, I was writing a novel, and I turned my nose up at the mere mention of fanfictions. But I couldn't not write about this game. So, it's not my usual writing style. Leave a comment or a review, and I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks for your time.


	12. Chapter 11

**22nd October, 2013**

The rain was still pouring when I woke up. More fucking rain.

I had another dream about Chloe. I never thought I was the overly dependent type: a little jealous, sure, but Jesus, it physically _hurt_ not to be with her. Not knowing if she was safe. Not even if she was alive.

 _Stop that right now, Maxine. Of course she's alright._

Right, yeah. It was just a possibility. That the girl I loved more than anything could have been dead.

My anxiety-fest was interrupted by a sleepy Frank Bowers. He nodded in my direction, holding a flask.

'Gonna be a looooong day today,' he said nonchalantly. 'We moved the RV into Portland. Got some business needs sorting. Lotta waiting.'

'Oh right,' I replied monotonously. He narrowed his eyes, trying to interpret my tone of voice.

'You, uh, wanna drink?' He held out the flask like a peace offering. I took it cautiously. 'Stop looking at me like that, I'm not some sicko who poisons kids.'

I winced slightly at his comment, and took a sip from the flask. It didn't smell like coffee and it certainly didn't taste like coffee either.

'Yuck! Eugh! Why are you drinking whiskey at this time in the morning!? Weren't you driving earlier?'

He chortled. 'Thought we could both use some, calm ourselves down. Andrew was driving, by the way. Like I said, we're on Prescott business today, I'm afraid. No leaving the RV, and that goes for me as well, apparently.'

I perked up on hearing this. 'What kind of business? Can I help?'

'Didn't you hear me? No leaving the RV. And I have no idea. You'll have to ask Andrew once he comes back, which should be soon,' he said, walking out of the 'room.'

I wasn't about to lose hope, though. There was a chance I could prove myself useful, somehow. Or persuade Andrew to let me tag along, and give me an opportunity to slip away, and find The White Cap hotel. Then I could find the guy who was working at the marina, and get a lead on Sean Prescott.

Before long, the door opened, and in stepped Andrew, wearing a long wool coat. 'Frank? I gotta lead on our guy. He's here,' he said quickly before opening a draw and rummaging inside for a small pistol. He also pulled out a magazine, checked it, and loaded the magazine into the gun, then fitting it into a subtle side holster. 'I'm going. You two stay, I should be back by nightfall.'

Well, this was it. Possibly my one chance to get out of here. I didn't particularly dislike either men, but I had an agenda of my own and it was highly possible that multiple lives depended on my success. I had to persuade Andrew that somehow, I could be of use to him. Then I could make a break for it and then rewind once I was away. This was going to take some convincing.

'Um...' I mumbled. Great start.

'Yeah?'

'Take me with you. I want to help,' I said, a little more forcefully than I had intended.

Andrew pondered for a moment. 'Actually, I guess you could be useful.'

My brows shot up in surprise. I wasn't expecting that, and neither was Frank, judging from his reaction. 'You're kidding.'

'I did a sweep. Prescott's men are not here. It's safe and having her along will make my life a whole lot easier,' said Andrew stoically. Frank considered this for a moment.

'Right, right. I'll keep an eye out for the dealers. Should get us enough cash for a while.'

'Sure thing,' Andrew confirmed, opening the door. He then turned to me. 'What are you waiting for? We're running out of time, damnit.'

Since all my stuff was in Kate's car, I had no coat to shield me from the rain outside. Just a bag with my trusty journal in it. _Can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Or rather, you can't interrogate a runaway marina employee without getting drenched._ I sighed, and stepped out of the RV, with Andrew following, locking the door behind us.

We walked in the drab rain for a few minutes. Neither of us said anything. Andrew was ahead of me, his gait confident, but cautious. I followed close behind.

'So where are we going?' I asked casually.

'There's a place a little deeper in town. The White Cap. There's a guy there I need to talk to.' I perked up at the mention of my own destination. Was it possible we were looking for the same guy?

Andrew continued: 'I did some recon, like I said. The guy's heavily guarded. Not by Prescott's men. There's another force in play here. And you're gonna help me get past 'em. Are you a good actress?'

'I like to think so,' I replied indifferently.

'Good. Now, I know which floor the guy is on, but not which room - which is where you come in. Hope you don't mind playing the "little lost girl." You gotta find out which room is the right room, then come back to me. I'll handle the rest.'

 _I bet you will,_ I thought. Okay, so that was convenient. I had formed a solid plan now - I'd get up to the right floor, see what I was up against. Then I'd remove the opposition. Then bust into the room, rewind so nothing changed, and then interrogate whoever this marina worker was and finally find the link between Sean Prescott, the dark room, the marina business and the mysterious crime organisation.

A lot depended on this working.

We continued walking along the dark streets of Portland to our destination. The dark grey clouds shielded the sky from view. Nothing was said - the only sounds that accompanied us were the impacts of the raindrops and the splashes of water after each footfall. The cars trundled along, coughing and spluttering. The high-rises towered into the skies. They looked rundown and neglected. _Guess the government is too busy fighting other people to help its own,_ I thought wistfully. _Then again, I could probably solve every problem times a thousand in no time... hah._

Finally, the two of us arrived in front of the White Cap. It was a very tall building, not overly grandiose but not as dilapidated as the other buildings in the city. The entrance, a brown oak door with ornate brass handles was framed in black wood and no shortage of security installations. Andrew nodded at me; then at the building.

'In you go, kid. Eleventh floor. Get up there, find the room he's in. It'll probably be a little more secure than the others. Then get back here. Don't speak to anyone, don't look at anyone and don't fuck this up. We got one chance.'

In practice I'd have as many chances as I'd need. Hopefully I'd only need one.

Without a word, I opened the door to the hotel. The inside was decorated nicely enough. I spotted the elevator, and sauntered casually towards it. In my mind I ran through the words I'd told myself countless times when anxiety had taken its grip on me.

 _Remember Max, you've got every right to be here. Look confident, be confident, right?_

Upon entering the elevator, I pressed the button to go to the eleventh floor. The doors closed after a short pause, and I felt the familiar jolt as the metal box traveled upwards. After ascending eleven floors, the doors opened to a warmly lit corridor. The floor was an orange and red carpet. The walls were red also, decorated with various paintings. The floor was practically empty - people had most likely headed out for the day.

It wasn't long before I found the room I was looking for. I turned a corner, and there it was. Whoever had paid for it wasn't trying to hide their presence - two suits stood guard next to the door. Well, shit. I prepared myself to rewind if anything went wrong.

'Um, excuse me?' I said to one of the guards. He was well build, at least six feet tall. He had a blonde crew cut. Sunglasses obscured his eyes. One would have thought he was a member of the secret service.

'What do you want, young lady?' He replied curtly. Impatient, yet not impolite.

'Are they in?' I motioned towards the door. The man shrugged.

'Why?'

I thought for a moment. The trusty journalist excuse came to mind.

'I'm a journalist, and I was dong a survey of random people about their opinion on the environment and pollution,' I explained nonchalantly, taking out my journal. 'Could you answer some questions for me?'

The man's brow furrowed. 'Not likely. What paper do you work for?'

'What?' I was taken aback.

'What paper do you work for?'

'Uhhh...' I trailed. I could see the suspicion forming in his eyes, even behind the shades. Shit. I rose my right hand and rewound, trying to think of an answer to his inevitable question.

'Could you answer some questions for me?'

His brow furrowed in the same way it did before. 'Not likely. What paper do you work for?'

I paused for a moment, searching for the right words to say.

'Well, at the minute, I'm not really working for anyone. I'm freelance,' I replied.

'Huh,' he replied. 'Well alright. If you need data, we'll answer your questions. Not like we've got anything better to do.' The man offered a cautious grin, motioning to his partner (also sporting the blonde crew cut plus shades combo), who gave a lazy wave.

'Alright! Thank you!' I said with enthusiasm. 'So, first question. What is your opinion of the current pollution levels in Portland?'

He thought for a moment. 'I don't think it's getting particularly out of hand. For the most part, not much action needs taking, in my opinion.' The other man nodded in agreement. 'Next question?'

'Do you think the federal government is doing enough to regulate pollution over the whole country?'

He stopped to think. 'Over the country? Yes. In other countries? No. China needs to be regulated, most of all. Global warming is pretty frightening, even for a guy like me.' He flexed his muscles comically.

'Alright, that's it! Thanks for your time. If it's not too much to ask, could I also speak to the man in this room?'

The guard looked me over carefully, considering me. There's no way I could have been deemed a threat.

'Eh, you look harmless enough.' He knocked on the door. 'Open up! We got a journalist type wanting to talk to you? Can I send her in?' I heard a joyful 'Of course!' The man then opened the door, and waved me through.

'Hey, hey! It's been a while since I've had company!' The man exclaimed. He was short, just shy of 5'7 - still taller than me. His brown hair was cut short, and his tired blue eyes sparkled in the brightly lit room. 'Please, take a seat! Would you like tea? Coffee?'

I smiled sweetly. 'I'm good, but thank you for the offer.'

'Okay then!' The man sat down relaxing. 'What can I do for you, sweetheart?'

I thought carefully about what I was going to say. My watch showed the time as thirty six seconds past ten minutes to midday: a useful (and precise) marker in case things went wrong.

'You used to work at a marina in Arcadia Bay, correct?'

'That's right... how did you know that?'

'It doesn't matter. I need to know who you spoke to on November the 9th,' I said firmly.

'Oh fuck,' he murmured. 'I knew he'd be coming for me, FUCK!'

The man entered a frenzy, and vaulted over the back of the blue leather sofa, drawing a gun. 'Don't move! Help!' He called to the guards outside. _Well, that didn't take long,_ I mused, willing time to move backwards in my favour. Okay, so there's a gun behind the sofa. I waited until the second hand had wound back to thirty six seconds past fifty minutes to midday, and settled back into my seat.

'What can I do for you, sweetheart?'

'Actually, before we get started, could I use your toilet?' I asked politely.

'Of course!' He replied jovially, 'It's over there.' He pointed forwards, away from the sofa. I stood up, and walked behind the sofa, searching for the gun. It was hidden away in a little discreet pocket that had been sewn into the furniture. I reached down, and felt the black metal. Nausea flooded my body. I couldn't believe I was about to do this - I'd make sure to rewind once I was done.

I drew the pistol and aimed it at the man's head.

'Don't move, don't scream. H-hands in the air. I... I want to know what happened at the marina, on the 9th, between you and Sean Prescott.' I stumbled over my words slightly, but I was nervous as fuck. I didn't want those guards hearing me threaten their client. Also, it didn't feel right threatening a guy who seemed pretty genuine.

'A-alright,' he said quietly. He began to shake and sweat. 'I, er, can't remember! Give me a few moments.'

'I'm watching you,' I warned coolly. After a few seconds, the man regained his composure.

'I spoke to him for a few moments, that's all. He came in with this big, metal box. He wanted to hire a boat. I asked him what was in the box. He gave me ten Gs, cash. Right there. Told me not to say anything to anyone and ask no questions. I was in debt, I had to... I was going to lose my house.

'So he goes out in this boat for a short ride. He comes back, without the box, and leaves without saying a word.'

I considered this. 'Alright. Why are you here then?'

He answered immediately. 'I... put his visit on the system. Before the storm, a couple guys grabbed me on the street. Shoved me in a van. Moved me here. So far, I've been safe. I figured Prescott was coming after me since I broke our little deal. So I guess he has, and he sent a child to do it.'

'One last thing: who's protecting you?'

'I don't know! Some kind of organised crime? They're from Seattle I think... are you going to finish it then?'

I lowered the firearm in response. 'No. I'm not Prescott's assassin. I... want him dead, and I'm trying to get information, and I didn't know how to without threatening you. I'm sorry,' I explained meekly.

He immediately grew agitated. 'I should think so! You could have given me a heart attack.'

'It doesn't matter now. You won't remember this,' I declared, rewinding back, wiping away the confused look on his face.

After a short repeat of the conversation I had with the guards outside, I thanked the man for his time and wished him well, leaving the apartment with another piece to the puzzle. Unfortunately, it was time for me to leave Andrew and Frank behind and reunite with Chloe and Kate. I walked down the hall and I was just about to turn the corner before I heard a familiar voice.

'Should be on this floor. Likely guarded, keep your head down. Let's just pray this goes smoothly.'

It was the voice of one of the men who chased me out of the motel two days ago.

'Hopefully. We're gonna lynch that bastard who took down Philips,' another voice replied.

'All in good time.'

I had to do something. Rewind all the way back, warn Andrew? Rewind and warn the man I had just spoke to?

Warning the guards seemed like the best idea. I walked back towards the guards, then bent time backwards so it didn't look like I'd just teleported across the corridor.

'Hey!' I addressed one of the guards. 'You should really be on alert. I have a feeling that Sean Prescott's men are going to come out of the elevator on this floor in about twenty seconds.'

Both men looked incredibly confused, but I was gone before they had time to register what I had just said properly. I dashed towards the adjacent elevator, praying it wasn't currently in use. I pushed the button, praying for the metal box to hurry up so I could get inside. I swore I could hear the whir of the other elevator as it ascended, carrying its passengers to my floor.

 _Come on, come on..._

The doors opened. I hopped inside, exhaling loudly as I slammed the button for the first floor. The elevator began to move back down, slowly, surely. I sank down to the floor. I had found another piece of the puzzle: whatever Prescott took with him on that boat ride had been dumped in the Pacific Ocean. And whatever it was got dragged up into the town by the storm. Warren had found more radiation using a Geiger counter or something... I was no scientist, but it seemed to me that whatever was in that box was radioactive.

 _Alright Max, get your head in gear. Eyes on the prize._

I wasn't out yet. I still had to get past whoever might be waiting for me - I likely wouldn't have Andrew's help. He had obviously gotten away after taking down one of our pursuers, but for how long? Ironically, I was working against the clock.

Finally, the box juddered as it came to a stop. I stood up, mentally preparing myself yet again as the doors opened to reveal the lobby. After a quick scan, I saw nobody acting as if they were watching. Okay, plan of action - I'd get out of the building ASAP. Get back to Frank, see if he could help me. Then get the hell out of Portland and find Chloe. In hindsight, it wasn't a bad plan... just one that was unlikely.

I stepped out of the elevator, walking briskly through the lobby, keeping my head down. Upon reaching the street, I glanced each way, looking for any telltale signs of Prescott's men. And there it was. The sinister grey SUV that had been stalking me for the past week. A bald man in a black leather jacket rested against it, smoking a cigarette. He looked at me, and looked away, and then looked again. I jerked my head to the side, trying to hide my face, beginning a half jog back to the RV. But it was no use. The man had seen me, and I would have to lose him before returning to Frank.

Once I turned the street corner, I bolted down the pavement as fast as I could. A pair of men came running at me, one of them raising a weapon. I held my hand up to rewind. In an instant, prongs embedded themselves in my skin. Electrical fire coursed through my body as I fell to the ground in an alleyway, unconscious and at the mercy of my captors.

 ** _Note -_** _O_ _nce again, I apologise for the late upload. Writer's block struck again and I refuse to upload anything that isn't satisfactory. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. Take care, now._


	13. Chapter 12

**21st October, 2013 - Chloe's POV**

I yanked the door to the driver's side open. Kate unceremoniously threw herself into the backseat, keeping her head down.

'Hang on!' I shouted, twisting the key which Kate had left in the ignition. 'Where the fuck is Max?'

'I saw her go towards that RV, she's safe, just drive!' Safe with Frank? I wouldn't bet on it.

Regardless, I put the car into drive, and sped off. At any moment more goons could show up. The car's acceleration was awful, my old truck was faster - I could feel myself getting more and more angry as the car began to splutter.

'No no no no! Don't FUCKING do this to me!' I smacked my fist down on the dashboard.

'Hey! Take it easy! It'll break down if you gun it!' Kate insisted.

I shot her daggers in an icy glare. 'You wanna get caught?' The blonde did not reply. However, I took her advice and stopped assaulting the pedal. The car slowed slightly, but the spluttering ceased. We cruised along the road at a steady pace, the adrenaline from our previous encounter wearing off.

'Where to?' I asked, still tense. Kate was still shaken, but she seemed a little more composed than myself.

'I know it's a long drive, but I think Seattle would be the safest bet for now. Hiding in plain sight, you know what I mean?'

'That is a really bad idea,' I began.

 _But what about Max?_ I thought to myself. I could hardly leave her in the dust and just run away. I'd have done anything, sacrificed anything including myself if she'd make it out okay. Kate was right. If Max was to have any chance of finding us again, we'd have to be somewhere predictable.

This also meant that it would be easier for Prescott to find us. And the crime syndicate. I prayed to whatever god that Kate was right and that hiding in plain sight would work.

'Alright, Kate. We're going to Seattle. I just hope you're right,' I said nervously.

The drive to Seattle took several hours. Neither of us really spoke to the other, until Kate piped up once we reached a gas station.

'You should probably pull in here,' she suggested quietly. 'May as well fill up on gas.' I did so, driving slowly next to a gas pump. The station was pretty much deserted.

'I'm kinda hungry too,' Kate added. I nodded, reaching over to grab the handle.

'No you don't,' the blonde objected. 'You've driven a long while. Take a few minutes rest, I'll sort everything else. Could you hand me the keys please?'

I nodded slowly, handing her the keys. Only after she mentioned it had I realised how tired I was. My eyelids were like weights, slowly pulling themselves down. I didn't really get much sleep last night.

All I could think about was Max.

Kate returned after what seemed like a short while. She'd brought an assortment of food (thank fuck) and we were ready to go again.

'Final stretch, Chloe. And you're sleeping once you get to mine. No exceptions.'

I smiled in earnest. 'Thanks, Kate. Really. But I have one more stop to make before then. Then I'll sleep all you want.'

'Good enough for me,' she replied. I wanted to check in on David, see if he was okay. I figured that if Prescott had figured out who I was, he'd be after David - as the man who brought down Jefferson, he was at the least on his radar. Then I'd get some sleep.

It was raining by the time we arrived outside David's. The famous Seattle rain drenched the city, darkening the day. Oh well. At least it would be harder to get spotted. I produced my key, inserting it into the lock, and I stepped inside.

'David?' I called.

'Chloe!?' He responded. He charged through the door, with an incredulous look on his face. I instantly wrapped him in an unprecedented hug.

'Thank _fuck,'_ I murmured.

'What happened to you?' He asked firmly, tentatively returning the embrace. 'I had Max call me, say you lost your phones... I got real worried.'

Max?

'How long ago?' I asked, my eyes widening.

'A couple of hours now. Why? Is she alright?'

I had no idea. If she had the time to call David then she wouldn't have been in grave danger... but things can change in a couple of hours.

'I don't think so. Just lost, is all. We'll find her.'

'Chloe, I was in the army. I can tell you're lying.'

It was times like these I wish I had Max and her rewind powers.

'I'm not, really. It's all cool. Hella cool.' I even feigned a small smile.

'Alright, I can't force you to tell me anything,' David admitted. 'But come to me if you need anything.'

'I need to use the phone quickly. Is it okay if I have some, uh...'

'Privacy?' David suggested. 'Of course.' He then left to go upstairs.

I picked up the phone, and dialed Warren. The tone beeped twice before he picked up.

'Hello?'

'Warren, it's Chloe.' I greeted him curtly.

'Hey Chloe! How's it going?'

'No time for small talk. You in town?'

'Which one?'

'Seattle.'

'Yeah. You need something?'

'Remember how you said you could get hold of a gun?' I asked quietly, making sure David wasn't around. There was no way I was going to lift one of his again.

'You know the Pizza Hut near the coffee shop where we reunited Max with Kate? Meet there. Eleven tomorrow night. Don't be late.' He adopted a serious tone.

'Thank you so much Warren. Have to go!' I said hurriedly, and hung up. 'David! I gotta run now! Take care of yourself!'

'You too! Come back soon!' David shouted back.

I stepped back out of the house and into the car. I got into the drivers seat, in front of Kate.

'He's alright,' I declared, sighing heavily. 'Back to yours, now.'

It was a short drive to Kate's, even with my atrocious direction-taking skills. Still, we made it. We both got out, ferrying the various bags and whatnot inside her apartment. The longer we were out in the open, the more nervous Kate became. Eventually, we took the last of the bags inside, with the blonde locking the door and breathing out loudly. She flopped onto the couch, eyeing me suspiciously while I lingered near the door.

'Don't you even think about going out again.'

I chuckled quietly. 'I, er, I am tomorrow.'

'When?'

'About twenty to eleven tomorrow night,' I told her casually. She shook her head in disbelief.

'You're joking. You're putting me at risk too, as well as yourself!'

'Kate... just trust me, okay?'

She held her glare for all of twenty seconds before glancing at the ground, admitting defeat.

'It's not like I can force you to stay. At least rest here until you have to go.'

I smiled warmly, plonking myself down next to her. 'That I can do.'

 **Note -** Heya! Sorry for the short-ness of this chapter. Thought this section of the story would flow better if it was split into two parts.

Also, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Stay safe!


	14. Chapter 13

**22nd October, 2013 - Chloe's POV**

Most of the day was spent in Kate's apartment, nervously waiting for anything to happen. The closer the time drew to 10:40, the more nervous I became. I'd taken a siesta next to Kate on her sofa in order to have as much energy when I went out, in case something went down.

It was as if my body knew that I had to go out. My eyes opened on their own, and I saw Kate sitting next to me, watching some late night TV while eating a bowl of noodles. She wore a large t-shirt and pajama bottoms. However, there was a rifle leaning next to the sofa.

'Packing heat?' I asked her drowsily.

'Ah!' She jumped slightly. 'Oh, you're awake. You startled me. Wait, what?'

'The gun,' I said. 'Since when were you pro-gun?'

She shrugged. 'Never really had an opinion. Just thought someone should be able to defend themselves. Lucky we've got it now though, right?' She reasoned.

Fair enough. It made me feel a lot safer knowing that Kate would be protected. Would Kate be able to bring herself to shoot someone? Oh well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. If she came to it. According to Max, I'd shot Frank and Pompidou in an alternate timeline, one she'd deleted - thank God for that.

'Is it even legal?' I wondered.

Kate shrugged again. 'No point wondering that now. Um... I don't think it's full auto? It might be. Oh dear.' She put her head in her hands.

'It'll be alright,' I comforted her.

'Yeah, yeah,' she replied. 'I'm still a little shaken. I'm already worried about Max, I don't want to worry about you as well.'

'Don't worry about me,' I told her.

I stayed with Kate, watching TV with her. We were both still very tense, just waiting for the door to be kicked in or something like that. Of course, that wouldn't happen, but the paranoia still played with our senses. Every dog bark, loud engine or door slam was a foot stomp, a gunshot or the shouts of mercenaries coming to hunt us.

Eventually, the time drew close to twenty to eleven.

'I'm going now,' I announced. 'You should blockade the door or something while I'm gone.'

She nodded. 'Will do.'

'Hey,' I said, taking her hand and looking her straight in the eyes. 'I'll be fine. So will you. We'll find out what happened to Max.'

She smiled and nodded. 'See you later, Chloe.'

Without another word, I was out the door, making sure to take whatever I had left from the 'handicap fund.' I walked briskly, wanting to get this over with as quick as possible. Why did Frank rescue Max? Was Warren with him? Hopefully, he would be able to shed some light on the situation.

It was fairly dark when I stepped out into the night. The streetlamps were all on, and the streets weren't as busy as they were during the day, but there was still a steady stream of cars coming to and from their destinations. I began walking along the pavement towards a destination of my own.

I arrived just short of Eleven. The night's chill had gotten under my skin, freezing me to the bone. Noticing Warren's car, I walked towards it. He motioned for me to get in, opening the passenger door. I did so, and he drove off.

'Hey, Warren.'

'Evening, Chloe.' His brow was furrowed, his expression morbid and stressed. His face barely moved; it was as if he had become set in stone. 'Check the bag under your seat.'

'Channeling Oprah, are we?' I gave a light chuckle while following his instructions. Warren didn't reply.

Inside the opaque plastic bag was a shoulder holster, some bullets and the gun.

'That's a snub nosed .357 magnum. Not a cap gun. You get some bullets free, because we're friends. Put it in the holster and you'll be good to go. Now, any cop worth his salt is gonna notice that bulge and see that you're packing heat, so stay away from the police. And for the love of God, stay in Washington. Laws are pretty lax round here so long as you don't go guns blazing in the middle of Seattle.'

'Warren... thank you. How much you want?'

'Four hundred up front. You got twelve bullets there as well.'

I handed over the cash without second thought. He checked it before nodding. 'Alright. Should I drop you off somewhere, or-'

'Warren,' I interrupted, 'I hate to interrupt, but can I ask you a question?'

'Well that depends on the question,' he replied.

'Have you heard from Frank lately?' I asked tentatively.

'No,' he answered. 'Why, you wanna talk to him?'

I nodded. 'Please. Could you also drop me a couple of blocks from Kate's?'

'Sure. Lemme just get my phone...' he said, fishing in his pocket for a smartphone. He tapped the screen a few times, holding it to his ear while driving. 'Frank? Yeah, not right now. I got someone that wants to speak to you.'

He passed over the phone.

'Hey, it's me.'

'Hey, kiddo,' Frank replied. 'Long time no speak, huh?'

'Frank... I gotta thank you. For the rescue.'

'What are you talking-'

'Don't bullshit, Frank. That was your RV.' I breathed deep. Warren eyed me suspiciously from his side of the car. 'I don't know what you were doing there, and I don't want to know. What I do wanna know, is whether or not Max is okay.'

Frank remained silent. I tried to hold back the nerves.

'Kid... I... we did everything we could. I had a partner, we were working on a way to take down Sean Prescott.'

'Shit, you too?'

'Yeah. We worked with him briefly, now we're cutting ties. Don't ask.

'After we rescued Max, we got a new RV and torched the old one. After that, my partner and Max went to talk to an informant, or something.' Frank paused. I knew this wasn't good. 'I haven't heard from my partner since they went in. The last I saw of Max, she was... she was tased amd then bundled into the back of a van, and it drove off,' Frank said shakily, with the hint of a slur. 'Fuck, I need another drink.'

My blood boiled. I was on the verge of crying. I wanted to storm right into wherever the fuck they had taken my girlfriend and shoot every single criminal bastard there.

'Where. Are. They,' I growled through barred teeth. Warren sensed the change in atmosphere - his suspicious gaze shifted to pity and curiosity. I didn't care much for it.

'Huh?'

'You said you worked with them. Where the fuck are they, Frank?'

'Don't go doing anything-'

'Where the fuck are they!?' I raised my voice.

'Alright, alright, shut the fuck up. I'll text Warren the address. You gonna bargain or something? Good luck with that.' I hung up, too angry to carry on talking.

'Change of plan, take me a couple of blocks from that address.'

'That does not sound good,' Warren warned.

'Warren, do this for me. You've been so helpful, to me, to Max... please,' I begged. I'd already made my mind up. I was going in there.

'Whatever you say... I guess I'll call Kate, tell her there's been a change of plan.'

Bullet by bullet, I loaded the gun. The rest of the bullets went in a zip-up pocket. Maybe not the most 'operator' thing to do, but I was too angry to think tactically. As soon as Warren stopped the car, I stormed out onto a deserted street amidst a cluster of high-rises.

'Don't tell anyone where I am.' I turned on my heel, and examined my purchase more closely. My hand pounded like crazy, and my throat felt dry as I turned the weapon over in my hands, the light from the street lamp reflecting on both the black finish of the gun and my blue nails. I stuck my tongue out to catch the newly forming raindrops.

 _Stop this. Head in the game, Chloe._

I had to head a couple of blocks north and I would be there. It would all be over soon. Angrily, I marched towards the address, gun inside my coat pocket.

It seemed like I was stood outside an office block. The main door was closed, likely locked too, with no sign of the building being inhabited, bar one floor, which had its lights switched on. I counted up, seeing which floor it was.

Thirteenth floor. _I'm coming, Max!_

There must have been a back door somewhere. As if on cue, I noticed an adjacent alleyway, and proceeded to investigate. A black van with tinted windows was parked there - she had to be here!

There was also a blue door in the alleyway, leading into the building. The men who abducted Max had probably forgotten to lock it - the door opened when I turned the handle. I made sure to be as quiet as possible. Oh fuck - how was I going to do this? Did I even have enough bullets for every person on that floor?

Despite my worrying, I carried on, entering a lift that would take me to the thirteenth floor. The lift carried me upwards as I leaned against the back wall, drawing the revolver, feeling its weight in my hand. I cocked the gun, ready for anything. The blood coursed through my veins, delivering adrenaline to my muscles. My anger was absolute.

The hallway was lit, and free of people and cameras. All I had to do was figure out which room Max was being held in. They had to be keeping her here temporarily, there was no way this could be permanent.

I opened the first door I came to. Empty. The next room I checked was empty as well. Before opening the door to the third room I came across, I paused, hearing a voice.

'Yeah. We'll do it in the morning, easier to blend in then. Why? Because a black van with tinted windows, at night, is fucking suspicious. Plus we have things we need to take care of here. Your imbecile dealer friend really screwed up things on our end.'

The phone conversation seemed to end then. _No time like the present, Chloe,_ I encouraged, calming swinging open the door and aiming the gun.

The man was bald, with a black beard and glasses. He wore a black suit. I motioned for him to be quiet.

'Where. Is. Max?' I growled.

'Turn left at the end of the hall. Fifth door on your right,' he said calmly, hands in the air.

'Give me your phone and the key to the door.'

He complied, handing the items over. I crushed the phone under my boot. He had a mug of coffee sitting next to his computer, which I knocked into it. The computer immediately shut down.

I then left the room, locking it behind me so he couldn't get out. I didn't want to be too loud, but if bullets did start flying... I wouldn't be afraid. I couldn't be.

Following the suit's instructions, I lightly jogged towards the end of the corridor and turned left. It was also clear. I ran to the fifth door on the right, throwing caution to the wind. I was about to open the door before I was interrupted.

'FREEZE!'

I barged through the door, slamming it behind me. I felt projectiles impact the wooden door.

And there she was. Max, tied to a wooden chair, passed out on whatever the fuck they'd put in her. Probably dosed her after tasing her.

'YOU FUCKERS!' I screamed. 'YOU'RE ALL GONNA FUCKING PAY! I'LL RIP OUT YOUR EYEBALLS AND FEED THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN!'

I opened the door slightly, firing a couple of bullets. A man screamed, prompting another hail of projectiles to hit the door as I shut it.

Shit. I might have bitten off more than I can chew.

'You're surrounded! Just put the gun down, it's over!'

'FUCK YOU!'

Max remained still and silent. _I'm not giving up yet._

I opened the door again. This time, it was ripped open, and I fell forward. Hands grabbed me, but they couldn't get a grip on my right hand - I unloaded the rest of the revolver into the person trying to grab me. He screamed, and fell onto the floor. I then felt a sharp pain in my arm, and the world faded to black.


	15. Chapter 14

**23rd October, 2013**

First, there was the insides of a van on the move. But only for a few seconds.

There was a lot of pain.

Then there was shouting. And gunfire. And... Chloe?

Oh no. No, no, no! I'd gone and gotten myself captured and she'd come to rescue me and now...

And now...

Where the fuck was I?

Some kind of room. It was big, luxurious in fact. I noticed it was very well furnished as I came to, and feeling returned to my body. There was a window, but it was blacked out. No luck getting out there.

Was there even a point in trying the door? Probably not. I tried it anyway. Locked. The doom then settled in as I realised I was here to stay. Had I brought Chloe along with me too? Probably.

The door opened and a relatively tall, brown haired man with glasses. His eyes were dark, but his aura was darker. I knew it was him, without an introduction.

'The one and only Max Caulfield. I wish I could say it was nice to meet you...'

I didn't know how to respond. Sean Prescott continued to speak.

'You don't have to apologise for my son's death. I don't blame you at all. You certainly weren't his friend, I gather, but no matter. I take it you're hungry?' He didn't wait for me to answer his question. 'Good. Follow me, then. We'll have some dinner. And then we'll get down to business.'

Business? Shit. I did not like the sound of that.

The man had a cold, uninviting air about him. As hard as he tried, I could see right through his act - he was probably trying to make me feel more comfortable, to make it easier to do whatever he planned later on. Still, I hated him with every fibre of my being. This was the man who built the dark room, the man who employed Jefferson... and he was the man who neglected his own child and inadvertently caused his death.

'Through here!' Prescott said, opening a door. He hummed an obscure tune to himself. Man must have been off his head on drugs. Probably Frank's handiwork.

Eventually we came to a large dining room. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting the room. Great windows peered out onto lands I recognised - the lands I saw outside the Prescott estate. _So that's where we are._

Four seats were around the medium sized table. Prescott motioned me to take a seat, as did he. An armed guard stood by the door, ready to act if things got out of hand.

 _I could rewind. But I wouldn't be able to get past the time I was knocked out for. I need more leeway._

'My wife is unable to join us tonight! So we have a surprise guest instead! Also I cooked, apologies if it isn't up to standard. I hope you like a good old roast chicken. You must eat to keep your strength up - you'll need it.'

That sentence filled me with dread. Prescott then left the room.

'Max?' A voice called. Chloe entered the room, followed by another guard. Her voice was full of melancholy. I wanted to hug her right then and there... but it didn't feel like the time. Or the place.

'Chloe... I'm so sorry.'

'Shut up, and sit down,' ordered the guard. Chloe flinched, then took the seat opposite me.

The head of the table was likely reserved for Prescott himself. Which left one last seat. A guard? Or was there another mystery guest?

When he walked through the door, my stomach dropped. I made sure that fucker got locked up, how the fuck was he here!? My blood boiled. My heart pounded. I almost rose from the table in protest before I saw that... _worm..._ eyeballing me. My entire body was flooded with chills. Chloe shrank in her own chair, wishing herself as far away as possible. I found it ludicrous that there could be someone I hated more than Prescott, but here he was.

'Oh, hi Max,' purred Mark Jefferson.

He then sat himself down on the chair, and proceeded to be restrained by Prescott, who wrapped a rope around him, tying him to the chair.

'How am I supposed to eat when I can't move my arms?' He quipped. Prescott backhanded him in response.

'You won't,' he growled. 'You do not deserve to eat.' Prescott then turned to me. 'I assume you know what he has done?'

I nodded.

'I asked him to look after my son. And you know what he did? He used him as a fucking pawn! A fucking pawn in his games!'

'You paid for his bunker,' I responded coldly. Prescott frowned.

'Bunker, the bunker, who the fuck caress about the bunker!? I buy people whatever the fuck they want if they'll do what I tell them!' He took a moment to calm down. 'Please do not challenge me like that again. You will want to be on my good side, Caulfield.' He stormed off.

'Well. Looks like it's just us and these two knuckleheads,' Jefferson muttered. The guards threw each other questioning glances. 'Since you know about my dark room... I want you to know that I would _so_ have loved to have worked with you.' He smiled darkly.

'You sick fuck,' Chloe growled. Jefferson laughed in response.

'And who are you? Maxine's groupie?' He sneered. 'I wouldn't even think about working with _you_. So impure, corrupt. Not innocent, like Max.' He then turned to me. 'People like her drag people like you down. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were destined for great things. But if you keep her around... I don't think you'll make it out of here.'

'Eat shit,' I told him. I recoiled at the memories of being in the bunker. It may not have actually happened, but it was real to me. At that moment, Prescott returned with plates of food for him, Chloe and myself. He set them down gently, eyeing Jefferson furiously. Suddenly, his attitude changed, and he flung the plates off the table, food and all. Prescott faced me aggressively.

'Do you know why I had _him_ brought here?' He snarled.

I shook my head.

'To show you this.'

Prescott stood up straight, marching over to Jefferson. He threw the chair (along with the man he was bound to) on the floor, kneeling as it went down, striking my former teacher's face with bare knuckles, grunting as he did so. Jefferson moaned in pain as the evidently grieving father pounded his face. After a minute or so, he stood up, rubbing his bruised, bloody hand. He reached his hand out towards one of the guards,who stepped forward, handing him a gun.

The gunshot rang throughout the estate as Prescott put a bullet in Jefferson's brain. Chloe squealed in surprise; I just sat there. Prescott was clearly unhinged.

That's not to say that Jefferson didn't deserve what he got.

'You have no idea how much time, effort and money it took, getting him away from the police. Jesus... this is a fucking mess. Sorry about ruining dinner,' he said, shrugging and lowering his pistol nonchalantly, as if what had happened was merely a silly accident. 'Take Price to her room, then leave us.'

Chloe, her eyes burning with rebellion, went with the guards silently, leaving the room.

'Your girlfriend- she is that, yes?'

I remained silent.

'Well, there's my answer. Anyway, she sure is something. Put quite a few rounds in one of my men. Guess there's always a _price_ to pay, haha!

'Anyway. You and I should have a little chat while we're here. No more theatrics. I need to know what you were doing at that marina. More specifically, what you found. Who you told.'

'We didn't find anything.'

Prescott slammed his fist on the table.

'Bullshit! Don't try and bullshit me. You don't want me to involve Chloe in this, do you?'

I was silent once more.

'That's what I thought. Now tell me: what have you learned?'

Time to take a risk. The longer I was here, the more likely it was that a chance for me to escape would happen. However, I didn't see myself surviving the night if I refused to talk. If I could prove myself useful, maybe I could get some wriggle room. An opportunity.

'I will talk,' I began, 'but I really need to see Chloe first.'

'Certainly easier than torture, I don't see why not,' Prescott grumbled to himself, likely unaware that I had heard him. 'Go on then. I'll walk you up, and please. Don't try anything.'

I nodded meekly. Prescott lead me out of the dining room, up some patterned stairs outside an antique wooden door. The man jerked his head, motioning me inside. He shut the door after I walked in.

The room was slightly colder than the one I had been in. It was much the same in other aspects, however - windows barred and blacked out, same luxury furniture and lavish gold-red paint job. And on the bed was Chloe, a pensive look upon her face. Upon seeing me, she stood up slowly, walked towards me and threw her arms around me, burying her face in my neck. Her hot tears met the skin of my neck.

'I'm so sorry, Chloe,' I whispered. 'I saw a chance to get more information, something against Prescott. I dragged you into this-'

'Don't be silly,' she cut me off. 'I chose to come after you.'

I let the words hang, embracing her tighter. I had to gather myself, now.

'Chloe...'

'Yes, Max?'

'I can get us out of here. But I need a distraction.'

'I understand, Max. You need an opening so you can rewind?'

I said nothing. Neither did Chloe for some time.

'Is there no other way? You'll stress yourself out.'

'Please... trust me.'

She fixed me with intense, sad eyes.

'You'll have your window. Once the guard is focused on me, run - don't stop rewinding until you're in the clear.'

I nodded solemnly. 'I love you, Chloe.'

'I love you too, Max. This isn't goodbye, damn it!'

The door opened. Chloe threw herself at the guard, allowing me to dash past in a frenzy. Once I had passed the guard, I flew down the stairs, much to the surprise of another couple of guards. The security detail on the inside, apparently, was pretty lax. I suppose it was easy to underestimate a couple of teenage girls. After that, it was a short dash through a hallway filled with paintings and decoration, and out the unlocked front door past another guard. I sprinted behind a black SUV, and rewound, hopefully enough to take back anything I had done, but not so far that I disappeared in the middle of my conversation with Chloe.

After I was finished, my head pounded.

It was midday. Not a cloud stained the sky. I could barely think through the pain.

Trying to ignore the thumping sensation encompassing my entire head, I peeked over to look through the vehicle's window.

Seeing keys in the ignition filled me with a relief which I cannot describe. The door was unlocked; I opened it carefully, placing myself gently in the driver's seat, keeping an eye on the guard. It seemed my luck had held even further: he wasn't looking my direction and he didn't even seem to paying any attention.

 _I've never even driven a car before, how the fuck do I do this?_

After a few tries, I started the car, which jerked the guard out of his trance. I pressed the pedal down as far as I could (which, despite my height, was far enough) and the vehicle sped out of the compound. It took some time for me to get the hang of driving, but it was easy enough - all I had to do now was get myself to the first safe place that I could think of.


	16. Chapter 16

**23rd October, 2013**

A terrible ache permeated my body from the tip of my scalp to the soles of my feet. My eyes felt as if they were about to roll out of my sockets.

Regardless, I ripped myself from the seat of the SUV, shut the door and staggered into the bright Seattle lights. I did not realise the time had flew by so fast - it was already evening.

 _Get a hold of yourself, Max._

My eyelids began to droop as I dragged myself towards the door of the building. I pulled myself up a couple of flights of stairs as fast as possible, ignoring whoever got in my way. With the little strength I had left, I curled my hand into a fist, and rapped on the wooded door. After a short wait, the door opened a crack. First, a hazel eye appeared, which then disappeared along with blonde hair. Another twenty seconds or so passed before Kate finally opened the door. Without wait, she threw her arms around me.

'You're okay, thank you Lord, thank you...'

'Kate, listen. There's no time to explain. I'm incredibly tired and-'

'Stop. Come in, take a seat, I'll make us some drinks. Would you like tea?'

'Coffee. Black,' I requested, stepping into her apartment and seating myself on the couch, 'so thick I can stand a spoon in it, please and thank you.'

Her expression shifted slightly. 'Alright.'

While Kate was off making drinks, I noticed a rifle leaning against the wall. The furniture also looked as if it had been hastily rearranged. Had Kate been expecting trouble?

'So,' said the blonde, 'where is Chloe?'

'That's why I'm here, Kate. Needed someplace safe. Someplace where they wouldn't follow. I rewound so they didn't see me take the car, but I needed to be sure. We got caught. Or, rather, I did, and Chloe came after me.'

I pondered the state of Kate's apartment. 'She was here, wasn't she?'

'Yes. I didn't try to stop her, Max. I'm so sorry.'

I shrugged it off. 'Not like you could have stopped her anyway. It doesn't matter. Listen. I'm going back. I'm going to break Chloe out. And then I'm going to... tie up loose ends.'

Kate approached, one hand holding the thickest, blackest cup of coffee I had ever seen and the other holding a cup of chamomile tea.

'I trust you'll do what's right.'

We drank in silence. After we finished, Kate spoke up again.

'You're going to rewind, aren't you? So far back. Before this conversation.' Her expression turned gloomy.

'Yes. You'll get quite a shock when I turn up a few hours ago.'

'Hours?' Kate's face now took on a completely different look. 'You'll stress yourself out too much. No way.'

'Not like you can stop me. I'll see you as long ago as I can, Kate.'

Yet again, I bent space and time to my will. I focused on channeling my love, my hate, my very life force into it. Chloe's face appeared in my mind It was, without a doubt, quite possibly the most painful experience of my life. My vision was blurred and I was on the verge of passing out before I finally halted the rewind.

Kate was still (for want of a better word) sitting down next to me. Instead, she nervously held a rifle, glancing about as if she had heard a noise. When her eyes rested on mine, seeing me, panting and holding my head, she screamed, dropping the gun.

'Max! What the...'

I looked down, dazed, realising I had carried the empty mug with me in the rewind.

'Kate. Hi.' She simply sat there, stunned.

'How did you-'

'Rewind,' I groaned in pain. Kate paused, grimacing slightly.

'I have to ask, Max. Why are you here?'

'Chloe. She was taken. I know she was here, we've already had this conversation, or at least we did in the future. I don't blame you for what happened. I needed somewhere safe to rewind this far back after I escaped.'

'Where is she?'

I moaned again, holding my head. 'Prescott Estate. I better get going. What time is it?'

'Eight in the morning. Listen, you aren't going alo-'

'Yes I am. You stay here. End of discussion.'

The blonde looked at the floor, knowing she couldn't win.

'How far forward did you come from?'

I thought briefly. 'About from four-ish, why?'

Kate didn't respond immediately; instead she held out her rifle. 'Take it. If you're breaking Chloe out, you'll make better use of it.'

'I can't take this! What about you?' I couldn't let Kate give up her only protection for me.

'If something bad happened to me, you'd have told me after your rewind. So I know I'll be safe at least until four. Ish. Daylight's burning, Max!'

Gingerly, I took the rifle, holding it. It wasn't as heavy as I had imagined.

'Kate? How do I...?'

'Oh. Right. See this handle here? That's the safety. Push it down when you're ready to shoot. Don't forget to pull the cocking handle,' she gestured to a bolt on the side of the gun, 'to chamber a round. There's thirty of those in there... I think.'

'Thanks, Kate.' I pulled the girl into a tight embrace. 'By the way, the SUV I stole will have gone. Can I borrow your car?'

Kate reached into her pocket and handed me the keys.

'You get Chloe back,' she whispered. 'And stay safe. We'll see each other again.'

'I don't doubt it. Farewell, Kate.'

Without another word, I turned around, the rifle in my arms, and rushed out of the apartment, into Kate's car.

The drive to the estate was nothing short of terrifying. It gave me a good few hours, even at breakneck speed, of time. Time that was primarily spent thinking. About how the next hours would play out.

 _I'll most likely be dead. Chloe will be too, then Kate. Our families next. So much more is at stake than just Chloe and I._

The sedan kept rolling. Kate had probably stopped for fuel on the way up from... where were we?

It all felt like a lifetime ago. Even being face to face with Jefferson felt years away.

The terrain grew familiar. I was in range of the estate. Perhaps five minutes out.

 _This is it. The showdown._

I parked Kate's car in a secluded spot, slamming down the hand break to relieve some tension. Sighing loudly, I picked up the rifle from the passenger seat, and opened the door. They came, then: memories. Of Chloe and I, as children, playing in the woods by the lighthouse. Of spilling wine on the floor in her house. Her holding me as I cried, watching William leave the Price household for the last time.

Memories of our first kiss. And the night before, spend trawling through Principal Wells's desk looking for information about Rachel Amber. Our moonlit splash in the pool.

Another new, powerful emotion emerged within me. Lust, again. But a different kind of lust, a more dangerous one altogether. Bloodlust.

My world was at stake. For those in my way there would be no mercy, no respite. The metal of the gun felt at home in my hands. I opened the door, and stepped out into the sunlight.

 _My head still hurts from the rewind earlier. I don't think I'll be able to rely on my powers too heavily._

The sedan was parked outside some forest. I'd chosen the spot because I remembered it, but also because the foliage gave ample cover for me to move closer to the estate. The amount of men on guard had increased considerably, no doubt as a result of my vanishing act. Hopefully I'd be able to dodge past the majority of the outside guard with what little I could muster of my powers.

Branches snapped and leaves dry leaves crackled as I jogged towards the estate through the woods. Dappled sunlight shone through the roof of leaves as I climbed up a gravel path, ascending.

Before long, I came to a wooden fence blocking off a grassy bank. I had reached a convenient overlook that I could recon the estate from, without easily being seen.

It seemed that there were six teams patrolling the grounds, each with three armed men. They walked around the grounds slowly, not particularly paying much attention to each other. The men looked tired and weary.

The mansion itself was truly massive; there were only two doors I knew of. The one I could see, and the front door. There was little point in trying to get in through the front.

The door I could see had one guard standing by it at all times. All windows were barred and no doubt locked, meaning I couldn't sneak in then rush out with Chloe. And I couldn't base a plan around being able to take everything back with a rewind. I wouldn't be able to take Chloe with me and if I tried, we would both be in immeasurable danger. Probably. I didn't even know if I'd be able to sustain a long rewind at all.

All in all, it looked like I'd have to find a way of distracting the guards somehow. Or, if it came to it, shooting them down. Trouble was, I'd maybe be able to take out one patrol, maybe two if I was lucky, before others came. I would then have to deal with any other guards inside the building itself.

The closest patrol turned a the corner, giving a brief window in which I would be able to run to the door. _It's now, or never!_

I vaulted over the fence, holding the rifle in one hand. I slid down the bank, jumping off at the right moment to land with two feet on the ground. Dashing forwards, I brought the rifle up to aim, watching as the back door guard glanced up, noticing me. I had a few seconds to act.

 _No choice._

Suddenly feeling its weight, I aimed the gun at his head, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang loud and clear, almost deafening me, resulting in curses from other guards. I had to be fast, grab the guards key, rewind if I could once I was inside.

Blood seeped from the deceased man's head as I rummaged in his pockets. I could hear shouting closing in on me as I searched. I breathed a sigh of relief as the cold metal clinked against one of my fingernails. _I'm coming, Chloe!_

Separate words could now be recognised as the patrols grew closer. Hyperventilating, I shoved the key into the lock, turned it, yanked the key out, opened the door and stepped inside, slamming it behind me. I locked it again, and raised my hand to rewind.

It was only a few seconds, but my head still pounded as if someone was knocking on it with a hammer. The kill was exhilarating, even though it never happened. I was extremely disgusted with myself. Was this what I had to become to save Chloe? One who enjoys what she does, so she can save those she loves?

My philosophising was halted by footsteps. Once again, I raised the gun, ready to shoot. I peeked round the corner, trying to see what was going on. Two guards were walking towards me down a tight corridor. And they had seen me.

'What the fuck!?' Exclaimed one of them.

'INTRUDER!' Screamed the other, beckoning his allies. I tried to rewind... but my head simply pounded even harder and I felt blood trickle down my nose.

 _To hell with it,_ I thought. _Looks like we're doing this the hard way._

I was shaking. From adrenaline, from sheer terror, from the coffee I'd downed earlier.

'Just drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!'

More footsteps thudded. 'Jenkins!'

'What!?' The mercenary named Jenkins shouted back.

'Feds just pulled up!'

'Who? Police? SWAT?'

'It's the fucking FBI!' The man yelled, panicking.

'What? How!?' He replied exasperatedly. 'This day keeps getting better and better. Owens, take your men, get Prescott and guard the hostage. We'll deal with this.'

How did the FBI know to turn up here? Why were they here?

A man began banging on the back door frantically, trying to get in. 'Let me in!' He yelled amidst the gunshots outside, 'my key has gone!

'Don't come near me!' I warned the approaching mercenaries. 'I'll kill you both!'

'Bullshit, you're just a fucking girl! Come out with your hands up and you might live to see tomorrow!'

They were still in the tight corridor. I poked the barrel of the rifle round corner without revealing myself, and began pulling the trigger quickly. Screams rang out, sending goosebumps all over my body.

The FBI was here, yes, but it seemed they were still a long way off. Chloe was a hostage, which meant she would be used as a bargaining chip. I couldn't allow myself to be taken and used in the same way.

I sprinted up the hallway into a grand, tall room. There was a staircase, which I hurled myself up. The way forward was clear. I jogged, holding the rifle tightly. I had to find where they were keeping Chloe. A door was slightly ajar behind me, leading to an empty room.

Suddenly, three men burst out of a room, bearing weapons. They aimed at me, about to fire, when I dodged into the room behind, slamming the door. A bullet penetrated the wood, grazing my left shoulder.

'Fuck!' I cursed loudly. My heart was in my throat, beating like a drum. Only my instincts remained - self preservation. I opened the door gently, steeling myself for the hail of bullets. It didn't come. I looked round the corner through the dark oak doorway, to find that the men had run off. I dashed after them, coming to the end of the corridor to find another flight of stairs. Taking two steps at a time, I ascended up the stairway, breathing heavily.

Once I came to the top of the floor, I saw a man standing there, his gun on the floor, and his hands by his sides. He was shaking. His brown hair, matted with sweat, fell in front of his panic-stricken eyes.

'I don't get paid enough for this,' he declared. I said nothing.

'Why are you- oh. You're the one that disappeared. Looking for the one with the blue hair?'

I nodded.

'I'll tell you where she is... if you let me leave.'

'Talk.'

He lowered his head in gratitude. 'Everyone's scarpered. I was about to leave myself. Through that door is Prescott's study. She's with him. I'm out of here.' With that he ran, leaving his weapon on the floor.

'There she is! Get her!'

Apparently, not everybody had left the building. Five men appeared from the right, pointing their guns at me. A table stood against the wall - I pushed it down, using it as cover as gunshots rang out. I peeked out, aiming quickly with the iron sights. One trigger pull sent brains across the wall. The deceased's four comrades, seeing this, became enraged, all emerging from their cover at the same time, firing. Once it stopped, I peeked out. I saw nothing, except the lower part of a leg jutting out from cover. Another trigger pull put him on the floor, holding the wounded leg. One more ensured he wouldn't be getting back up.

The three others cursed loudly. 'Come on! Let's go!'

'Right!'

'You two can leave, but I won't run from a little girl!'

I stayed down, waiting for a taunt, or heavy footfalls, gunfire, anything. It stayed silent. This was was smart, likely holding the angle on me. I could feel the gaze of his gun's barrel, patiently waiting for me to take a shot. I'd need a distraction of some kind, anything to take his eyes off my cover.

I reached down to untie the laces of one of my trainers. Removing the shoe was no easy task, for my hands would not stop shaking. Eventually, it came under control, and the trainer slipped off without issue. I tossed it into the air, prompting gunshots. I quickly peeked out after, catching the mercenary off guard, putting five bullets into his chest. He cried in pain and fell to the floor. Avoiding looking at the bodies, I picked up my shoe and slid it back on.

When I turned around, the door to the study was already open. I walked through it, met by the sight of Sean Prescott, holding my Chloe captive as a human shield. With a gun to her head.

'Max. So good to finally meet you.'

I forgot we hadn't even met.

'Let her go,' I growled.

'Now, now,' he said, tapping the pistol against Chloe's head. 'Don't want any more bloodshed, do we? Sounds like you've caused enough.'

'Let her go, fucker.'

A loud yell and a crash could be heard outside the room.

'If I let her go you're going to kill me. Even if you don't, I'll get taken by the hostage rescue team outside. And I have no intention of letting that happen.'

'You're gonna drop that-'

'I will tell you what's going to happen, you little shit,' he hissed. 'You're going to drop that ancient piece of hardware. You're going to sit down there and be a good hostage. Or else Chloe will scream. Then when the FBI arrives, you can go over to them safe and sound, and I'll leave. You'll never hear from me again.'

'Don't you dare drop that gun!' Chloe screamed. Prescott smacked her over the side of the head with his pistol.

'I'll give you ten seconds to drop the rifle. One.'

Chloe's azure blue eyes began to water. She stared at me intently.

'Two.'

Another crash resounded through the building.

'Three.'

I wanted to drop the rifle, but I couldn't.

'Four. Her life is in your hands!'

I focused, trying to look for somewhere I could shoot him without hurting Chloe.

'Not happening, Max. Raise that rifle and she dies. Six.'

My hands became moist as I began to sweat.

'Seven.'

I placed the rifle on the ground and kicked it away.

'Good girl. See? How hard was that?' Prescott grabbed Chloe by the hair, moving her to the other end of the study. Prescott pressed the spine of a book in one of the bookcases. It moved, revealing a door. 'Secret passages. Handy, right? My getaway car is almost here. Just thought you should know.'

Another crash. Extremely close. The FBI was right outside the door.

The door opened. It was not the FBI. It was Jefferson. His glasses were skewed, and he held a metal bar in his hands that was soaked with blood.

'You lying, manipulating, bastard son of a-'

Prescott shot him in the head before he finished the sentence. I took the opportunity to dash for my rifle, while he was exposed. I dived to the floor. He began shooting, keeping Chloe in the lock. She struggled, but could do nothing against him. One of his bullets found me, lodging itself in my right shoulder. I fell to the ground, holding the rifle.

'Max!' Chloe screamed. 'He killed her!' Chloe continued screaming to nobody in particular. 'He killed a fucking hostage! Let me go, you prick!'

I registered the pain, but the adrenaline kept me going. I couldn't stop now, not for anything. As Prescott struggled with her, his side became exposed. I picked up the rifle surreptitiously, crudely aimed, and pulled the trigger.

Prescott's pistol dropped to the floor. Chloe broke away, kicking him down. I rose from the floor like a phoenix, and walked to the writhing body on the floor. Prescott held his wound in a vein attempt to stop the bleeding.

'Goodnight, motherfucker.' I put the barrel to his temple and pulled the trigger of the rifle one final time.

'Jesus, Max,' Chloe murmured. She embraced me. I dropped the rifle, and wrapped the one arm that wasn't killing me around her.

'It's over, Chloe. It's over.'

 **30th October, 2013**

The agent sat next to my hospital bed gently. He was bald, with green eyes and a stocky build.

'We're putting you into witness protection. There were some very, very nasty people involved in this whole ordeal.'

'What about-'

He held up a hand, silencing me. 'Everyone else involved who was at risk will be safe too, don't worry. I'll do my best to make sure you end up together. As together as possible. You, Chloe, her stepfather and the Marsh family. No promises though.'

'Thank you.'

'As for everything _you_ did that day... there's no proof that any of those corpses were caused by you. This case has brought on a massive workload for the Bureau. Off the record, you did what you did to survive and I don't care in the slightest about getting you in trouble. Because, thanks to you and your friends, we've uncovered a massive, multi-million possibly billion dollar crime ring. I'll be back once I get more information.'

He nodded curtly, turned around and was about about to leave, before he turned round again. 'Oh, I was told to give you these.'

He handed me two plain white envelopes. One was addressed to me - in Kate's handwriting. I opened that one first.

 _Hey Max!_

 _Sorry I couldn't come visit. Sounds like hell up there, and I've been told to stay away from Oregon. In fact, stay away from the Pacific North West entirely. Who am I to argue with the FBI?_

 _I should probably own up to it. You've likely been wondering how the FBI found you in the first place. My car has a tracker on it. I tracked you, and once you stopped, I called the feds._

'That little bitch,' I mumbled quietly to myself.

 _At any rate, I probably saved your life. Payback!_

 _I so badly wish to see you. Please contact me as soon as you can._

 _Kate xoxoxoxoxo_

I smiled, picking up the next letter. The envelope was simply marked 'Maxine Caulfield.'

 _Dear Miss Caulfield,_

 _First of all I would like to thank you for putting an end to our mutual friend. I don't know how you did it, but it matters not. You've saved me a great deal of money, trouble and men. I was indebted to him, but now it seems those debts are irrelevant._

 _Simply know that you we will no longer pursue you, or anybody affiliate with you. You have nothing to fear from us._

 _You may have already worked out that Prescott was not acting alone. I will not divulge information about myself or my organisation, but I will say this: do not try to find us, or contact us._

 _Kind regards,_

 _A friend._

After reading the mysterious letter, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off my chest. For the first time in months I felt safe.

Chloe then walked into the room. She kissed me on the forehead, embracing me, her faded blue locks falling onto me.

It was then that I realised that my journey, my trial, was over. And I knew happiness, and was content.

 **Note -** That's it! Thank you so much to everyone who read this. I can't believe what started out as a little four month project ended up taking twice as long!

I've no doubt that I will continue to write in the future, throughout sixth form and university. But for now, I've got exams to pass. Once again, thank you all, and goodbye!


End file.
